


Dragons and Dandelions

by HerbologyNewt



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Camping, Castelobruxo, F/F, Female Protagonist, Hogwarts, Magizoology (Harry Potter), Plants, Pre-Canon, World Travel, magical plants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 64,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26375734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerbologyNewt/pseuds/HerbologyNewt
Summary: Pomona Sprout, promising young Herbologist, is travelling the world and discovering new plants. It's far away from the cosy Hufflepuff common room, but when she meets Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank the desert suddenly gets a lot less lonely. They decide to stick together, and their relationship slowly develops beyond friendship. But then they both get the job offer of a lifetime. The only problem: Will's is at Castelobruxo in Brazil, and Pomona's is at Hogwarts. What should she do?
Relationships: Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank/Pomona Sprout
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

The rain drummed lightly on the canvas of the tent. It was the kind of weather where you'd want to curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate, but Pomona was all out of cocoa. And milk. It had been a few weeks since she'd seen the inside of a shop, and while she didn't mind the solitude she was starting to miss certain pleasures. The nights were getting cold, and soon she'd need to move or find a way to deal with frost and snow. But she was almost done here. Just a few more sketches, and then she could pick a new spot. Maybe somewhere in the tropics this time...


	2. Floating towards friends

_Dendroglobulus volatus_ (called Pokok Kehidupan by local wizarding communities) is a large tree that attracts attention by its wonderful fruits, that use a combination of heat and magic to create a floating effect much like a hot air balloon. These fruits allow the seeds to fly far and wide, though most of them will never germinate. If a seed falls on a spot of soil that has been touched by lightning, it can slowly grow into one of the majestic trees. It takes centuries to reach its full size, and has a central place in the folklore of the Tertuntong tribe of indigenous mages as a protector of the forest and representation of the Gods on earth.   
\- excerpt from _Flora Bornea Magica_ by Theosophilus Firblossom

* * *

  
Travelling had become a routine, and Pomona smiled when she realized she knew exactly what to do. She had planned the journey well, apparating to Oslo and taking an international Portkey from the Norwegian Ministry of Magic to Singapore. That was the farthest magical transport could get her, so from there she was dependent on a Muggle ferry. It was her first time travelling outside of Europe, and she didn't know where to look first. She was currently crammed in a little boat full of Muggles, bags of flour and rice, goats, chickens and a lot of interesting-looking fruits and vegetables. At least, she suspected they were fruits and vegetables. She was happy she'd remembered to exchange not only wizarding gold but also some Muggle money, so she could buy something fresh to eat. The various curries looked nice enough, so with some difficulty she explained what she wanted and paid. She wasn't so sure about the fruits, but she got a mango and something that looked like a purple bell pepper anyway out of curiosity. She wished she could look them up in the book she'd gotten about edible plants in Southeast Asia, but she'd have to wait until she was alone before she could take out any magical items. And being alone probably wasn't something that would happen before she got off the boat, it was so full that she was kind of surprised it floated without any magic.  
  
After three days on the boat, Pomona was thoroughly exhausted. She hadn't been able to sleep well on the hard floor, and even at night the ship never grew quiet. She missed her bed, that she knew was waiting for her perfectly made inside her tent - hopefully she could pitch it tonight, if she got to a nice camping spot in time. People around her were starting to get restless, until someone pointed excitedly at the horizon. Pomona looked, but only saw the hazily dancing air in the distance. But word quickly spread around: they could see land, they were nearly there! She just hoped it was their final destination this time, instead of the short stop for water on a tiny island yesterday. She wanted to explore, but most of all she wanted some solid ground under her feet. Some peace and quiet would go a long way, too.  
  
It was both the advantage and disadvantage about being the only Westerner on the boat: nobody was talking to her. And while she had enjoyed not having to watch her words at first, she was starting to feel lonely. It was a weird sensation: usually when she was surrounded by people she had no trouble socializing. The Hufflepuff common room was always a busy beehive of interactions, and she had felt right at home in that environment where everybody knew each other. And though she didn't know everybody outside her house, the hallways of Hogwarts had always felt familiar and safe. It had annoyed her at the time, she wanted to see more of the world than just a castle in Scotland, however magical the castle was. But now she missed the soft chairs in front of the fire and the window tables in the library. It was weird to think about how life at home went on without her, the students at Hogwarts complaining about homework and all of her friends settling in at different jobs. She'd stayed in contact with most of the other Hufflepuffs she'd graduated with, as well as some friends from other houses or years, but writing letters would get harder now that she was travelling further away than most owls would be willing to travel. The children who had been in the first year when she was in her last year at Hogwarts would be getting close to their OWLS now, and the four years in the field felt simultaneously like eons and mere weeks. Home felt so far away, and not just because she was on the other side of the world in a wobbly boat.  
  
She could definitely see land now, a green glow around the horizon. It snapped her out of her nostalgia, and she began to collect the few items she'd taken out of her bag. The coastline grew nearer, and soon she could distinguish trees and houses. There were other boats on the sea now too: small boats with fishers, and another ferry that passed them in the direction they came from. The port was located in a long inlet, amidst a jungle that grew right onto the water's edge. When they turned a corner she could see the city too, a hotchpotch of big houses in the center and smaller wooden or reed cottages and shacks near the edges. The buildings were all pretty low, which was definitely different than she was used to. The port itself was busy with life, but she left as soon as they moored. She had some vague directions about a path out of the city towards the East, that would be the quickest way to a spot where she could apparate. The river should be easy enough to follow, and if she went North after a while it should take her right into the bush. She didn't intend to travel that far today though, she needed some rest first.  
  
It took her a good hour to get to the outer edges of Pontianak, and she was relieved when she saw the shelter of the trees. She decided to take one chance apparating another hour's walk east, and look for a camping spot there. There would probably still be Muggles around, but it should be easier to go undetected. The river was quite wide here, and the banks were sandy and narrow. She didn't see anyone, so she risked taking out her wand. A quick spell told her that she was indeed alone, so she picked a spot on the bank and started putting up her usual Muggle-repelling charms. She wasn't sure they would be up to NEWT standards, but they should give her an early warning if anybody tried to approach. Satisfied for now, she pitched her tent and went straight to her bed.   
  
After a good night's sleep, Pomona felt excited about her new adventure again. She woke up feeling rested, and enjoyed the comfort of her bed and the noises of the jungle outside for a while before she got up. The tent was already quite warm, and though it was a welcome change from chilly Norway she needed to apply some cooling charms if she wanted to avoid a sauna. A quick look outside told her it was a beautiful sunny day, and that the river was surprisingly calm. She didn't see any boats, but knew it was just a matter of time until they would appear. Still, she would eat some breakfast first and look after her plants before she would pack everything up and continue inland. She'd taken in provisions in Oslo, being a bit more familiar with the types of groceries she saw there. She would only need fresh fruits and vegetables in the coming weeks, and expected to find enough of those once she started exploring.   
  
She spent the morning travelling, carefully apparating small distances at a time until her map told her she was deep in the jungle. Then she mounted her broom, deciding that a slower form of travel would probably be better to find a good campsite. It was nice to fly, the breeze it created helped to cool her down as the sun rose and the air grew stuffy. She flew slightly above the trees, but could already see the wild diversity in shapes and colors. Birds of every size flew around her, but she didn't see any magical organisms yet. It would probably take a while to find them, carefully searching the forest for traces of something that shouldn't be there. This would probably be as good of a place to start as anywhere else, so she started to descend when she saw an opening in the canopy. When she was still hidden between the branches she looked for Muggles again, but it was safe to land. The floor was soft and springy under her feet, and it was surprisingly dark here. The trees stretched out above her head like a roof, and the air was moist. The forest was sparser on her left, and after a few minutes of difficult walking she found a small lake. It was easier to breathe here, and she could see a bit of the sky.  
  
So she took her backpack off and started to unpack her things. Now that she planned to stay in the same place for a bit longer, she could really make herself comfortable. Maybe she could transfigure a hammock out of something to hang between those trees there... But first, the tent. It was a neat little thing, that she'd found for cheap in the second-hand shop in Diagon Alley. From the outside it looked like a small tent, just fit for one person. But when you got inside, it was like a small apartment, probably made for camping with four or five people. The previous owner hadn't treated it well though, and getting rid of all the mold and doxies had taken Pomona half a summer. But now it was fit for habitation again, and she'd made it her own place. It had been fairly empty when she left, but now plants, samples and other tokens of her travels filled much of the space. Once the tent stood and her regular protection spells were in place, she hesitated. She still had a few hours before sundown, so she could explore her surroundings a bit. The idea of some tea and light reading was enticing too, but she knew that if she sat down now she probably wouldn't get up again for the rest of the afternoon. Deciding that activity was probably the best cure for the last remnants of her jetlag, she got her field bag and locked her tent behind her.   
  
Small paths crossed the clearing, and she was curious what kinds of animals would use them. Still, she saw no tracks of any big animals that she should be on the look-out for, so that was good. She took her wand out and stepped forward, into the forest. She walked North for a bit, making sure that she still knew how to get back. Before long, she couldn't see her tent anymore. But what she did see was marvellous: an enormous diversity of different tree trunks, and the canopy high above her. The forest floor seemed bare in comparison, but when she looked closer it was littered with small plants and fungi that grew on the fallen leaves. She spinned her wand to look for traces of magic like professor Beery had taught her, and followed its direction. After an hour she was pretty sure she'd walked in a circle around the same set of trees, and decided to give it up for the day. Clearly a broom would be the way to go here, since the canopy looked much more interesting that the forest floor beneath. She feared her tent would be far away now, but was pleasantly surprised when it loomed up before her after just a short walk. The forest felt disorienting, and she wasn't able to figure out where she'd been when she looked at her map. Tomorrow she would be more careful, just in case. Even more than on her other expeditions, she was aware of how alone she was. If she got lost, there would be nobody to find her.  
  
When Pomona woke up the next morning, it was just starting to get light. She knew at once what had woken her: the noise was astounding. Birds, monkeys and possibly some other creatures were all trying to get heard, and the resulting cacophony made her head hurt. But at least she'd have an early start with her explorations today... She made some tea and toast, and looked at her books and maps while she ate. There was little detail on the maps though, so while she sort of knew where she was they weren't too helpful in planning out her course of action. She sighed, and put them back in the bookcase. Just another thing on her to do list: make a map.   
  
Half an hour later, Pomona didn't mind anymore. She was sitting in a tree at the edge of the clearing, enjoying an overview of the little patch of wilderness at her feet. This was what she loved: after carefully drawing a map and looking at all the plants around her, a place started to feel so familiar. Like it was her bit of jungle, instead of just any jungle. And she'd picked well: her current tree was laden with mosses, ferns, bromeliads and orchids. It was buzzing with insects, and birds were flying in every direction. It felt chaotic, but after a while she started to see some of the patterns. Every animal had its preference for which plants it visited, and each type of plant grew on a specific spot of bark. She returned to the small map in her notebook, and added a cross where her tent was. After that, she climbed back on her broom and flew up, so she could look down on the forest. From above, it didn't look uniform at all. There was a small stream, and beside it a patchwork of different trees. But now she could also see larger parts of the geography: before she'd focussed on a place to land, but now she looked at the horizon and saw the mountains in the distance.  
  
There was still a mystery to be solved though: she had learned to trust her spells for finding magical plants and creatures and there had definitely been something there yesterday. She went back, spun her wand and tried to mark her way on her map. She was able to work more quickly now that she had her broom, but after fifteen minutes she had gone in a circle again. Going more slowly, she tried to narrow it down, but that wasn't working. Ascending above the treetops, she looked for any signs that this bit of the forest was different than its surroundings. But most of the trees were the same species, and she didn't see any obvious differences in other plants. Most monkeys and birds seemed to treat them the same, moving in and out of the borders of her study area without care. She sighed. That left her with one option: looking at everything from close-by, and see if she could find the magical plant. It wasn't all bad though, she should get an overview of the rest of the vegetation anyway and this seemed to be as good of a place to start as any.  
  
The next few days, Pomona was cataloguing. The biodiversity was bigger than in any of the place she had visited before, and her notebook filled up quickly with drawings and descriptions of plants. The forest itself was composed of not one but many species of trees and bushes, and epiphytes grew on everything they could get hold of. She recognized a few plants from her books on potions ingredients, but found nothing with enough magic to have set off her spells. But she didn't mind, because she did see countless orchids, ferns, carnivorous plants and even small rhododendron species that grew on the trees. She collected some plants for the growing collection in her tent, as well as some seeds she planned to send to the Hogwarts Herbology Club when she got near a post office again. With her spells on them, they should last long enough for them to have some fun with.  
  
But no matter how hard she looked, she could not find what she was looking for. After two weeks she felt like she'd seen almost every plant, from the treetops to the dark and stuffy ground. The screams of the gibbons sounded like they were mocking her, and she almost started to doubt her spells. According to them, a magical plant was growing all over the area, but she couldn't find a trace. She sat down on a low, broad branch and got out her notebook and map. She leaned against the trunk and drank some water, while she went over everything again. It had to be something small but abundant, but she'd even looked at some of the mosses that were fascinating, but not magical. She put everything away, reapplied her insect repellant potion, and got out of the tree. With the wealth of plants above, she hadn't paid the forest floor as much attention as she could have, and it was the only thing she could think of. A trail of a big animal led through the area, and was the easiest place to walk. She had previously strayed off it a little bit, but now she left it altogether and climbed over the uneven ground. It was hard going, and when it started to get dark she hadn't even searched half the area.   
  
But Pomona was nothing if not stubborn, and the next day she got her reward. Something was glowing in the dark undergrowth, and she didn't need any spells to know it was magic. She carefully got closer, and saw a single small pink flower with five petals sitting on the forest floor. It was emitting light, with the slight greenish hue she recognised from other bioluminescent plants. She took her time drawing it and taking a picture, and then looked around. She wanted to dig it out, and see what it was attached to, but what if it was the only specimen? Then she realized it had to be growing all over the area, the rest of the plant hidden underground. How else could she have detected magic without finding the source? It was the little nudge she needed, and she poked her wand at the earth around the flower. It seemed safe to touch, so she held it in place while she sucked the earth away from around the stem she quickly found. It branched off into a large network, which confirmed her theory. She even found what looked like a bud for another flower when she followed the network back to the surface, but after drawing it she buried it again and let it be. The pile of earth around her was getting bigger and bigger, but she kept slowly and meticulously following the stems. This flower had to get its nutrients from somewhere, and she expected it would connect to the roots of a tree at some point. But no matter how far she dug, she couldn't find it. That was even more peculiar, so she took her knife and cut off a piece of the stem. Then she hesitated, and took another cutting: one to try to propagate, and one for more research. Whistling contently, she covered up the hole, carefully leaving the flower out in the open, marked the location on her map and went back to her tent. This was even better than she had dared to dream.  
  
The coolness of the tent was a relief, and Pomona carefully put her plants on the table and sunk down on the couch for a while. Then her curiosity got the best of her, and she got up again. She spent some time looking after the plants she'd collected that day, and then she prepared the cutting of the mysterious flower. She hadn't washed any of the earth off, and now she carefully made a coupe and rinsed it with a dropper of water. Then she put it under her old microscope, and looked. She could see the organized bundle of vascular tissue in the pale root, but the edges of the cutting got her attention. When she turned up the magnification further than most Muggle microscopes would go, she could clearly see fungal threads entering the plant cells. So that was how it worked... She'd have to go back and try to find out more about the fungus, and if it needed anything specific she would have to recreate in order to grow the fungus and flower herself.  
  
After that exciting find, she moved around the jungle a bit more and travelled further and further each day. The carnivorous pitcher plants in particular got her attention, and she spent some fun days hunting down different species and even finding some magical ones. She was collecting plants and notes on such a rate that she had to use a morning to re-organize her tent, but it was all worth it. She was so busy she almost forgot to take time off, the forest around her never grew quiet and neither did her thoughts.  
  
One day, she was flying above the forest, following the small stream that she knew disembogued into the bigger river she had camped next to on her first evening. The mountains in the distance were clearer than usual: it was a beautiful day. The view never failed to make her smile, but her attention was grabbed by an odd shimmer in the air. It could just be the heat, but Pomona knew better. She got her wand out, and flew closer to investigate.  
  
Tiny balls were floating past. She caught one, and looked at it more closely. It looked like a miniature hot air balloon, with a seed instead of a basket. It was hot, too: she almost dropped it when her hand started to hurt. Quickly, she put a freezing charm on it and stuffed it in her bag, and steered down to look at the source of the balloons. There were more and more of them now, it was like flying in a hot and brightly coloured cloud. She could hear chanting too, so she slowed down and carefully landed in a nearby tree. She cast a Muggle-detection charm, but nothing happened. Either something went wrong with the charm, or she had found local wizards and witches. She tried again, but still no reaction. So she decided to risk it, and got into the air once more. She was close to the source of the balloon seeds and the chanting got louder, so they had to be related. Maybe it was some sort of ritual? In that case, it would be better not to disturb it. She could see where the balloons came from clearly now, it was a big tree with thousands of small dark green leaves that seemed to be releasing the balloons from its branches. When she was about a hundred meters away, she landed. Even though her charm still showed that there were no Muggles in the vicinity, she tidied her bag and put her wand in her sleeve. There was no use in trying to hide her broomstick, and she didn't want to leave it in an unknown forest. Hopefully it would be seen as a weird quirk from the foreigner if anything happened.  
  
Pomona silently sneaked towards the sound of the chanting. Now that she wasn't in the air anymore, it was hard to see what was going on. At the foot of the balloon tree there appeared to be a small clearing, judging by the light that came from its direction. Finally, she was close enough to see people. They were wearing what looked like thin robes made from big leaves, ending just below the knee to allow for more freedom when walking around the uneven forest. But the robes were flowing around them in a way leaves wouldn't be able to, as they swayed and chanted. She could see drums too, but they were set aside. Little kids were sitting to the side, wearing the same sort of clothing and looking awe-struck. Pomona sat down too, intend to watch for a while. A branch snapped beneath her foot, and she looked up to see if anyone had heard her. But the people seemed occupied with their ritual, and continued chanting like nothing had happened.  
  
She watched for a while, looking just as much at the tree as at the people. Its trunk had big bulges that almost looked like steps, circling all the way around it. Some of its leaves had fallen close to her, and she took out her notebook to sketch them. She was so concentrated that she didn't notice someone coming up to her, until she looked to the side and saw one of the local wizards sitting next to her. She almost screamed, but he didn't look threatening. He was looking at her with just as much interest as she had looking at the tree and the people, that were now starting a slow dance around it. He looked at her notebook, pointing from the drawing to the tree. She tried to speak an explanation, but he shushed her quickly. Then, he stood up and beckoned her to follow him. Unsure, she took a few steps in his direction. She wondered if this was a wise thing to do, all alone in a strange land, but curiosity won from sense.   
  
The wizard had walked into the clearing, and sat down next to the children watching the ceremony. He gestured for her to do the same, and then carefully gave her one of the fruits laying closeby. It was one of the balloons, but it was deflated and cold. He pointed to her pencil and notebook, and she understood that he was helping her. She smiled and nodded at him, and started sketching the balloon. Every once in a while she looked up, until after a while the ceremony started to slow down. The dancing and chanting had stopped, and instead everybody sat down. Someone was beating a slow beat on the drums, and Pomona felt a calmth come over her. For a moment, it looked like the wizards and witches would get into a trance, but then they ended with one joint cry and the forest grew quiet. She hadn't noticed before, with all the singing going on, but there was no other noise. No birds singing, no monkeys screeching. For the first time since she had arrived in Borneo, it was quiet.  
  
Pomona put down her pencil, to enjoy the nice atmosphere. Everybody around her looked relaxed, and some of the smaller children had fallen asleep. Then one of the elders stood up, and started to talk. She couldn't understand what he was saying, but even the children were listening attentively. She watched her surroundings, but the only thing that was moving were the little balloon seeds that slowly drifted up into the air. The man talked with conviction, and she guessed from his gestures that he was reaching some kind of climax in his story. Then he smiled, and said the last words quieter than before.  
  
It was as though a spell had been broken. The forest became alive again, as people softly whispered to each other and a bird cried in the distance. The same relaxed atmosphere stayed though, and the man who had spoken before came to Pomona.  
He sat down in front of her, and slowly said "So you are what the Pokok Kehidupan has brought this time." Pomona stared at him, unsure what to say. He had a strong accent, but it was easy enough to understand if she paid attention. He laughed softly. "Oh, don't look so scared! We are no savages. But you’re a traveller, right?" She nodded. "And you found us because of the balloons?" She nodded again, still not knowing what he wanted from her.  
"I came her to study magical plants, some of my books said there were great things here but that the land was mostly uncharted and unknown."  
"Unknown to the writers of your books maybe, and uncharted by their charts. But indeed, we haven't had white visitors in a long time. Not since before my son's birth, I think."  
"But you do speak English."  
He smiled. "Not much, but it is good to know. Some of our children go to magical schools, and we communicate with the closest magical governments. We're not unknown to the magical community, although they rarely contact us."  
  
That was fascinating, and made her feel safer too. She had been warned about savage wizards, and not all of it had been joking. She yawned involuntarily: it had been a long day.  
The old man noticed, and said: "Ah, but it is late. You can sleep here with us if you want, but if you have a camp elsewhere you may leave and come back tomorrow if that makes you more comfortable. We'll stay until noon, and then we go back to our homes near the mountain. You can come if you want, we can show you much about the rainforest that you wouldn't notice yourself."  
Pomona thought about that for a while. "In that case I'll go to my tent, and come back tomorrow with my bags. I've got quick transport with me." She nodded at her broomstick, that was still lying next to her. He smiled at her.  
"Go and sleep, and we'll see you tomorrow. Good night."  
And with that, he picked up one of the little kids and went to the other side of the clearing, where a small group of wizards and witches was waiting for him. She saw them talk among each other, undoubtedly about her. She waved, and got up. The children that were still awake looked at her with wide eyes when she mounted her broom, and flew back to her tent.


	3. Tiny trumpets and busy trees

  
Durian Dungbomb ( _Durio aggredi_ ) is an aggressive tree species native to the inner jungles of Borneo. It will probably detect you before you detect it, flinging one of its spiky, stinky fruits your way. These fruits, while bitter, are cherished by the native wizarding population as a delicacy and potion ingredient, mostly used in potions to ward off pests. The tree is hard to keep in captivity due to its aggressive tendencies, as the keepers of the famous Gardens of Singapore found out. They planted a Durian Dungbomb and Whomping Willow too close together, and once they were big enough to reach each other they started a fight that ruined more than 50 endangered trees in the vicinity.  
\- excerpt from _Dangerous Trees You Need To See_ by Adelbard Stump

* * *

  
Pomona’s tent felt weird and mundane when she returned, a big contrast with the magical feeling of the forest. For a moment, she regretted not staying to sleep under the tree, but her own bed and the lack of mosquitoes won over the sense of missing out. She slept uneasily, waking up from oddly intense dreams every few hours. She was relieved when the morning came, and she could get up. The wizard had said they would be at the tree until noon, but she didn't want to wait that long and quickly ate some breakfast. When she had packed a day bag and put her tent away, she looked at the little lake. As always, she felt a little sad leaving a place that had been her temporary home. But the wizards would be able to teach her a lot more than she could figure out by herself, and she was looking forward to talking some more with them. Excited, she mounted her broom.  
  
Without the guidance of the balloon seeds the tree was harder to find, and she spent a bit of time flying around until she recognised places she'd flown over yesterday. When she arrived at the tree, most of the native wizards and witches were still asleep. A few of the smaller kids were up, running around and playing some sort of game. They were watched by a boy who looked about fifteen years old, who shushed them every time they got a bit too excited and loud. Pomona waved at him when she landed, and he smiled and got up.  
"Good morning", he said. "So you're the traveller bapa is talking about. I'm Darwin." He held out his hand. Pomona shook it.  
"I'm Pomona"  
"Are you British? One of my friends at school visited once and said it was wet like Borneo, but a lot colder"  
Pomona chuckled. "Your friend would be right" she said. "Though it's maybe not quite as wet, or we'd have a rainforest too. And in the winter we get snow and ice, which is more fun than rain." She liked this boy already. They sat down, and chatted while the adults around them slowly started waking up. Somebody lit a fire, and started warming a large cauldron of something that looked like stew.  
  
After his initial curiosity about Pomona, Darwin was happy to talk about the rainforest and tribe. "We have a village an hour's walk from here, that's where I grew up. We have our own school and everything, but I went to school in Indonesia instead for two years. Bapa wants our children to learn about the outside world as well, but I didn't like it as much. So I came back, and now Ferdinandus teaches me magic and bapa teaches about the rainforest."  
"What sort of things does he teach you? I'm here to look at magical plants."  
"Lots of things! You can ask if you can come with us tomorrow, we have a lot of magical plants and creatures in the forest and bapa knows about all of them."  
They heard a chuckle above them, and the wizard from the previous evening had arrived. He asked the boy a few questions, which he answered in rapid Malay.  
"Bapa says he can take you, but he'll also ask Elmy to come. Her English is better than mine, and she also knows a lot about the plants." At these words, the older wizard gestured at a younger woman to come over. She looked about thirty years old, and her skin and hair were lighter in color than that of the other people. When she spoke, she had an Australian accent.  
"Getting to know the traveller, Darwin?" She gave him a pat on the shoulder. The older wizard spoke a few words to her, and then he left.  
  
Breakfast was served, and to Pomona's surprise the stew was sweet and fruity. It smelled heavenly, and she dug in with delight. After that the tribe gathered their belongings, putting it all in the cleaned cauldron and charming it to float behind them as they walked. Elmy and Pomona walked at the back of the group, as Pomona got easily distracted by the plants around her and Elmy was happy to tell her about them. They didn't follow a clear path, but the witches and wizards seemed to know where to go as easily as if they were walking on an asphalt road. Elmy laughed when Pomona said this.  
"We've walked here many times, and when you know the jungle well you don't need any paths. Most of us could find the Pokok Kehidupan with our eyes closed, as we often come here when we want to think in silence." Then she pointed Pomona at some vividly purple and blue orchids, that seemed to be buzzing around just like the insects they imitated.  
"We call these Dancers, there are a ton of different ones. They perform mating dances with the insects, in hopes of getting pollinated. Don't look at them for too long though, they can be quite mesmerizing." A wasp buzzing in front of the orchids hesitated a bit too long, and was snatched out of the air by a small animal that looked like a cross between a dragon and a butterfly.  
"A Naga Kecil," Elmy provided. "It translates to little dragon, but really they're more related to butterflies and the Swooping Evil from Indonesia. You should see the ones we have in Australia, they're twice as big and quite vicious. These only eat insects and the juices from pitcher plants though."  
"That's a relief" muttered Pomona to herself. Elmy giggled.  
"The pitcher plants are quite something, you should really go and see them. The normal muggle ones are famous enough, but in a hidden valley by the mountain there are magical ones that get two meters tall and are big enough to catch a pygmy elephant."  
"I'd like to see those!" Pomona said excitedly. "I've been looking at different pitcher plants, but the few magical ones I found weren't much bigger than the rest."  
  
A little too quick for Pomona's liking, they reached the village. It was nothing like she expected: for some reason everybody she'd talked to had forgotten to mention the houses were built in the trees. Ropes, bridges and ladders were connecting the different houses, that varied in size from tiny sheds that looked like they wouldn't fit more than one bed to a big hall with windows and an outdoor porch. Together it looked like a mix between a castle and a jungle gym from a child's wildest dreams. She stood watching with an open mouth while the people in front of her spread out and started climbing the rope ladders to get to their houses. Some of the kids had ran ahead, and now came zooming back down on broomsticks. Darwin flew towards her, and almost fell off his broom from his sharp turn. He laughed when he saw her face.  
"So, do you like it?" he asked.  
"I can see why you got homesick..." was all Pomona could manage.  
Elmy smiled. "There's nothing quite like it." she agreed.  
  
Pomona's tent stayed in her bag, as she was led to a small cabin at the edge of the village. When she had put her things away, Elmy was waiting for her. She had gotten a broom as well, so Pomona picked up her own and they flew down to the ground. She could see why these people were so good at wandless levitation of objects: it really was one of the most useful skills one could have around here. An older woman was sitting in a chair built onto a branch, knitting with her yarn obediently floating next to her as she overlooked a bunch of young children. They seemed to be playing a game that involved levitating objects higher and higher, until they failed and the shoes, balls and fruits fell down onto their heads. All of the sudden Pomona realized what the village reminded her of: she had seen a Muggle picture book that depicted a city of fairies in a remarkably similar way - but without the broomsticks of course.  
  
That day, they didn't go far. The mysterious valley of pitcher plants remained a mystery for now, but Elmy showed Pomona lots of epiphytes growing around the village. Gardens were made redundant by all the flowers and ferns, clinging onto every available surface and making everything look green and alive. In the evening everybody came together in the big hall, eating and talking. Even though the windows didn't have glass in them, there must be some spell on there because the mosquitos, birds and monkeys didn't come in the hall. Pomona made a mental note to ask Elmy about that, but for now she was happily watching her surroundings. When it got dark little lanterns turned on, and people slowly started leaving. She had forgotten which one of the little cots was hers, but Darwin showed her how to get there. She almost fell down one of the ladders from fatigue, but managed to make it to her hammock in one piece. It had been a long day, but she was amazed by the hospitality of the tribe and the richness of the forest. She was definitely going to enjoy her stay.  
  
In the following week Pomona was shown different parts of the rainforest by Elmy, and quickly knew her way around well enough to explore on her own. Her sketchbook fattened up quickly with sketches and samples, and with some help she also collected even more live plants to grow in her tent. After explaining why she needed it, Pomona had quickly gotten permission to pitch the tent under 'her' tree, where it attracted the attention of people young and old. Elders shared their sometimes confusing gardening advice in more or less broken English, and on multiple occasions Pomona opened her tent to find a giggling child playing hide-and-seek. The rainy hours were spent in there, or in the central cabin where she read up on sunlight simulating and temperature regulating spells in order to get the perfect growing conditions for these plants that required more than just room temperature and some light. This in turn was new for the tribe members, and they were curious to learn. The children and older witches and wizards alike enjoyed her stories about Scotland, Norway, and the mountains and forests of central Europe with a climate that was wildly unfamiliar for most of them. And so she got into a routine of exploring, helping the medicine man, helping Ferdinandus teach the little kids and working on her tent. The mosquito-repelling charms on the windows turned out to be a relatively simple barrier spell, which Elmy happily learned Pomona. They even managed to tweak it a little, so she could create different climate zones in her tent and keep pests out, without being hindered by the barrier herself. When she woke up one morning, Pomona was surprised to realise she'd been in Borneo for exactly one month.  
  
The diversity of the rainforest was still stunning, and unlike anything she'd seen before. She could (and incidentally, did) start her research without walking more than a few steps after getting up, and found orchids and pitcher plants in more shapes, sizes and colors than she'd ever thought possible. From the gigantic two meter high ones that supposedly could kill a human or a pygmy elephant to tiny ones rooted on branches so high and thin she couldn't lean on them and had to levitate besides them on her broom. But the weirdest plant of all was one she encountered in her second week in the forest. Or more accurately, it encountered her. She was flying along a small river close to the village when something big and heavy looking zoomed past. It hit a tree trunk just behind her with a loud splat, and a horrible smell was released. She started flying a bit more quickly, but was met with more of the spiky projectiles, forcing her to zig-zag and duck a few times. Now she could see where they came from though: a tree on the other bank was firing its fruits with scary accuracy. She made a sharp turn and flew away from it, until it appeared to calm down a little. As soon as she got a bit closer it started again, so she hovered at a safe distance to watch it for a while. Before long, she spotted a monkey sneaking closer to the tree. It reached one of the dropped fruits that had burst open, and grabbed it. It made one move too many however, and the tree hit it right away. Deciding that it was probably too dangerous to stay so close, Pomona went back to the flowers she had spotted before. She kept thinking about the aggressive tree though, and couldn't wait to ask Elmy about it.  
  
When she told the story to Darwin, he started laughing.  
"You found a Dungbomb Tree!" he said. "Did you take some of the fruits with you?" When she denied this, he looked disappointed. "They're tasty" he said. And, when he saw her look of disbelief: "That's how we can tell if someone is from here. You can learn all our habits, but few learn to appreciate the dungbomb durians, or normal ones for that matter."  
Someone next to them had picked up on the topic, and added "But even if they don't like the taste, they like our game! Sometimes we fly around them, and the first one to touch the bark wins."  
Darwin grinned widely. "I won last time we tried! It helps to be smaller, that way you can make the quicker turns. Do you want to try it? It's been way too long since we played, we should go tomorrow."  
Pomona looked quite dubious. "I think I came close enough today, thanks. But I'd love to see that. Does anybody ever get seriously hurt?"  
Darwin shrugged. "Sometimes someone gets knocked of their broom, that's part of the fun. Ervin broke his leg last time, but it was no big deal. Besides, don't you play Quidditch with Bludgers that do the same thing? They talked about that all the time in school."  
Pomona didn't really have an answer to that, so she kept silent. But to herself, she thought wizards would always find some crazy game, no matter where they were from. And just like with bludgers, she would stay far away from these fruits, though she would like to be able to see the tree better without being assaulted by it. Maybe she should dig out her old Defence against the Dark Arts notebook and see if it talked about any physical shields.  
  
  
The weather stayed the same, but talk about the new school year at Mahoutokoro showed another sign of the change of seasons. Although some of the children of the Tertuntong tribe were homeschooled, others went to the Japanese school for magic. Their talk of leaving left Pomona wondering as well. It had been a fun and interesting time in the jungle, but she reluctantly admitted to herself it was time to move on. She hadn't seen everything there was to see (she honestly thought that that would be impossible), but she found herself looking at her maps and books more often than before. This place was amazing, but there was so much more she wanted to see and she had collected enough information to write a book about the area if she wanted, and had enough plants in her hothouse for further studies of their life cycles and magical properties. So with a heavy heart she announced her departure at dinner. Darwin looked very disappointed, but Elmy and bapa smiled at her.  
"Send us an owl," Elmy told her. "We want to keep updated about your next adventures!"  
Then, she helped Pomona to plan the next leg of her journey. She could hitch a ride to Japan when the school year started next week, which she happily accepted. From Mahoutokoro she would travel to Tokyo, where she could take an international Portkey to Los Angeles at the other side of the Pacific. From there, she wanted to go to the Sonoran Desert, so she would look for a Portkey to Yuma or Phoenix when she got to Los Angeles and if that wouldn't work, apparate in short leaps until she reached the desert. It would probably take a while before she would comfortably stay in one place again, so she made sure to really enjoy her last week in Borneo.  
  
For their last day of exploring, Elmy told Pomona to be ready at dawn with her broom and a day bag, but she refused to say why. And so Pomona left her hammock when it was still dark, drank some juice and ate some cold rice porridge, and came out of her cot still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Elmy was already waiting for her, looking only marginally more awake. She told Pomona to just follow her, and they flew up above the treetops. The forest floor had still been dark, but here she could see the first signs of dawn. The sky was a dark greenish blue, and the mist wrapped around the trees and mountains in the distance.  
They flew without talking for a while, and around them the sky became lighter and lighter. Then the first sliver of red sun peeked around the mountain ahead of them, and Pomona was treated to one of the most magical sunrises she had ever seen. They flew slowly, Elmy was not in any hurry and had clearly just started the trip so early so Pomona could see this. The noises of the jungle sounded like background music from up here, though she knew it was deafening to be in the midst of it. Birds and monkeys competed for attention, and the sounds changed as they flew over different territories. By the time it was fully light, the mountains were close and Elmy steered towards a valley on their left. She smiled at Pomona.  
“Bapa has decided we can show you this valley before you leave. It’s a big honor, they normally don’t let foreigners come.”  
“But you’ve been there?”  
“Yes, but only after I lived with the Tertuntong for two years. They must really like you.”  
Pomona blushed a little at the praise, and changed the subject. “So I assume there are magical plants to be found?” Elmy grinned. “Oh, just you wait!”  
  
The valley was broad, nestled between two of the highest mountains in the direct area. It was hardly hidden, and Pomona wondered how curious Muggles hadn’t found it yet. Then she felt a wave of air wash over her, like an amplified version of the barrier charms that were all over the village. Now that they were inside the bubble, she could see how - for the lack of a better word - magical it was. Closest to them the trees were high, waving in non-existant wind, with colorful birds flying all around them. Something roared in the distance, and they halted over a clearing in the forest. A hoard of tiny elephants ran across it, trumpeting higher than Pomona had ever heard before. They were followed by a gigantic lizard or wingless dragon, she wasn’t quite sure. All proportions seemed off, and she was happy she was up in the air and out of reach. Elmy started a running commentary.  
“You might know about the Bornean pygmy elephants, but there is an even smaller magical variety too. We can try to see them up close, they are about the size of a large dog. That dragon was an Indonesian Hidewing, it can fold its wings up alongside its body and you can barely tell they’re there. It’s a good climber, but can only fly if it starts by gliding down from a treetop. Aren’t they amazing?!”  
  
Now that she looked better, Pomona could see the Hidewing was not as big as the other dragons she had seen before, and looked quite friendly now that it had given up its hunt and was laying in the sun. They flew closer, and she took out her camera. After taking a few pictures of the dragon and the surroundings, Elmy got impatient.  
“Come on, we’ve got plants to see! This is just the beginning.”  
They flew on, until they had crossed the short side of the valley and reached the mountainside. The trees were lower and sparser here, leaving more light for undergrowth. Pomona gasped when she saw what was growing there: big Nepenthes pitcher plants were draped over the rocks, their pitchers pointing toward the sky. It was easy to see how an animal could trip over the stoney ground, and fall into a pitcher that lay waiting below. They landed on the hard ground, and Pomona got out her sketchbook.  
  
The valley was the culmination of everything Pomona had looked at before. There were the giant pitcher plants, more dancer orchids, tiny ferns in the treetops that, according to Elmy, made a powerful poison when prepared one way and a healing potion when prepared differently, and of course the magical animals that lived in this reserve. It also explained why Pomona hadn’t seen many bigger magical creatures before: they were mostly confined to this valley, for their own safety and to prevent discovery by Muggles. Her spells for detecting magical plants and animals went haywire, but she didn’t need them in here. She could have spent days looking around this part of the jungle and the caves Elmy guided her to when the daily rain started, but all too soon the day started to get to an end. Pomona sighed, as she looked over the trees and watched the elephants grazing peacefully nearby.  
“I’m going to miss it here.” she said to Elmy. “It’s been nice to be under the people again, and the forest is just magnificent.” Elmy smiled, and stared into the distance.  
“I know, I’ll miss you too. And who knows, you can always come back. They are open to immigration...”  
Pomona laughed. “Yeah, but I think it’ll be just for a visit for me. Although I would like to return one day, to see how everybody is doing.”  
“The people of the plants?”  
“Well, both preferably. Don’t laugh, but sometimes I miss the plants in the Hufflepuff common room more than the people. We’ve got marvellous habitats in there.”  
Elmy chuckled. “I can imagine you’d think that. You’re a bit queer like that.”  
Pomona bit her lip, but kept her voice light. “Well, it’s what makes me happy.” She hoped Elmy wouldn't think twice about the description she'd used for Pomona, but it left her a bit uncomfortable.  
  
They flew back to the village, and Pomona drank in the last evening with the tribe. They ate, and after that everybody stayed in the main building and told stories. There were songs, and even some dancing like when Pomona first met them. She sat to the side, drinking sweet juice and listening. She didn’t want the evening to end, but finally she went to her little cot with the hammock for the last time. Her last night in the jungle was over before she knew it, and it was time to leave. She said goodbye to all her friends, tied her bag to her broomstick, and kicked off.


	4. A trampling herd of cacti

Jumping cacti ( _Cylindropuntia exsulto_ ) are found in the Sonoran Desert, and are most common in the South-West of Arizona, in the United States of America. They can get up to two meters tall, which is about half the size of their non-magical counterparts. This reduces size allows them to move around in groups without getting too tangled up in each other. They aren't unfriendly to wizards, but their enthusiasm combined with their prickliness can cause issues. Jumping cacti live in groups of 10-50 individuals, without a strict hierarchy. They grow best in thorny scrub in the foothills, but will often hop up onto the plain to enjoy the view. It reproduces with fruits, but can also start forming new plants from dropped stems.  
\- excerpt from _The Wilds of Arizona_ by Newt Scamander

* * *

  
The small group of travellers flew to the top of the Kinabalu to be picked up by the giant Storm Petrel of Mahoutokoro. Luckily it was cloudy, so they didn't have to worry about Muggle mountaineers. From up here, Pomona could see pieces of the different valleys and places she'd gotten to know over the last few weeks, intermingled with small low-hanging clouds so the landscape looked like a patchwork quilt. Then, they saw a small speck in the distance that quickly grew larger. The Storm Petrel was large enough to carry the five of them with ease, and when it climbed above the cover of the clouds it picked up speed. It was hard to tell how quickly they flew, but Pomona could feel the wind in her hair and after just two hours they started to descend again. She wasn't allowed to set foot on the island where Mahoutokoro was beyond the landing strips, and the sea mist prevented any view of the elusive school. She transferred to a different bird, that would bring her to Tokyo. This saved her a lot of trouble, but she was slightly disappointed she didn't get to see Mahoutokoro itself, or even the grounds. Sometimes the universal secrecy of Wizarding schools was really annoying...  
  
When she set foot in the Japanese Ministry of Magic an entire day earlier than planned she didn't mind anymore though, because she learned she was just in time for the biweekly Portkey to Los Angeles. If she had been just a few hours later, she would have to either wait for the next one, or go to the Ministry every morning to see if a ministry official needed to travel to the USA. But now she was all set, and after an hour of bureaucracy and five minutes of waiting she felt the familiar pull. When she opened her eyes again, the texts she saw were in the latin alphabet again and a grumpy-looking witch in muggle clothing was looking at them.  
"Welcome to America," she said in a monotone voice, "Please take note of our strict policies surrounding the International Statute of Secrecy to prevent detection by No-Majs, have your wand and any pets registered at the counter and sign the form detailing duration and goal of your stay. We hope you have a pleasant time here and hope to see you again."   
  
There was no Portkey planned to Yuma, but instead MACUSA had a small Portkey Station where you could make requests. It was a bit pricier than Pomona had hoped, but the thought of spending an entire day apparating and looking at maps in this heat wasn't very appealing either. So she dished out the money, and by the end of the afternoon she was standing at the perimeter of Yuma, Arizona. The desert stretched out before her, sandy dunes and scrub with mountains in the background. It was her first time seeing cacti in the wild, and there were more of them than she could count. She felt incredibly small. The heat was a bit worse than in the rainforest, but the drought was a nice change. Nonetheless, she was glad she had applied a Chilling Charm to her clothes before she left the Portkey station.   
  
She was still in No-Maj surroundings, so she started walking until she found a spot behind a large rock where she could apparate. She picked a hill in the distance, picturing the way her body needed to travel to get there in her mind's eye. She turned on the spot, and apparated. When she'd done this proces three times, she finally felt like she was far enough away from the city that even the most fanatic hikers wouldn't reach her. She cast a Muggle-detecting charm, and sure enough, she was alone. She got her tent out of her bag, cursing the annoying fact that the only way to keep her broomstick hidden in her luggage was to put it in the tent. Now she had to get the tent up well enough to get the expansion charm to work, so she could stick her head inside and grab her broom. She was glad that there was nobody, Muggle or magical, around to see her wrestle with the canvas. Finally she had her broom, and stuffed the tent back in it's bag. She swung the backpack on her back, and mounted her broom. There were no clouds to hide in, so she had to fly low instead, getting a good look at the scenery. She felt grimy after her long travel, but the wind combined with the Chilling Charm felt like a refreshing shower. The land started to get rougher, with low hills full of cacti and dried out bushes preventing much travel by foot. There was no path.  
  
The sun was sinking close to the horizon, and Pomona started looking for a place to camp for the night. She wasn't quite where she wanted to be yet, but was enjoying flying more than apparating so she didn't want to change her slow speed. Instead, she flew to a clear flat patch she saw in the distance, and landed. The sand was a lot softer than she would have liked, making it a bit hard to walk in. But that also meant it wasn't a dried out river bed, so she didn't have to worry about flash floods. It didn't look like it was going to rain, but she knew the weather would be unpredictable at best. She cast the barrier charm Elmy had learned her to keep out snakes and other animals, and got her tent out of her bag. When it was up, she went inside and threw her stuff to the side. It had been a long day, and she didn't really feel like cooking. So she got out some of the fruit pies the Tertuntong had given her, and ate those while lounging on the couch. Even though it was still quite early, she felt exhausted and ready to sleep. It was weird to be in a bed again: in Borneo she'd only slept in a hammock, just like everybody else. She had gotten used to the wobbly feeling, but now she was too tired to take much notice of its absence and fell asleep quickly.  
  
When she woke up it was still dark, but she felt completely rested. It would be best to get used to this new time zone quickly, but after half an hour of tossing and turning she gave up and got out of bed. It was chilly, so after she lit the oil lamp in the kitchen she got her kettle and put some water on. When she had her tea, she went to sit at the table, still in her pyjamas. She got out the best map of Arizona she had, as well as some of her herbology books. It looked like she still had about fifty kilometers to go, which shouldn't take her more than an hour and a half by broom. All descriptions of travelling to the valley she was headed too were easy enough, but it might be a bit tricky to find it with the lack of landmarks around. But she felt optimistic, and by the time the sun rose she was ready to go. After a quick shower she had put on her field clothes again, thin but long pants and a beige linen shirt. She pinned her hat to her hair with two simple hat pins, checked that she had food and a flask in her bag and grabbed her broom. Then she went outside, packed her tent and checked for random forgotten items one last time. When she was sure she had everything, she undid her spells on the area and left.  
  
It was getting hot very quickly, and the sun was burning in her neck. Pomona made a mental note to find something to cover her neck when she landed again, but for now her hair would have to do. The landscape she was flying over was gorgeous, and she almost wanted to land here. But she kept going, following the direction her compass indicated until she approached a big hill. The sides were made of steep rock, and it towered over the surrounding desert. She had to fly a bit higher to get over it, and see into the valley hidden at the other side. The slope was just as steep here, but underneath that lay a scrubby area alternated with bare sand that was sheltered from the harshest winds and sand storms by strangely shaped rocks. The valley wasn't extremely wide, she could clearly see the other end of it. But it meandered away to the sides, so there was quite a way to travel if someone would want to see all of it. Some movement on a hillside about a hundred meters away was the first indication that something about this valley was out of the ordinary, and Pomona slowly flew closer to investigate.  
  
Moving cacti. There were at least twenty of them, each between one and two meters tall. They had branches with long spines, and chains of fruits waving from the ends. Every once in a while, a piece would fall or fly off, apparently without hindering its owner. There was no easily distinguishable goal in their movement: they just appeared to be wandering around with sharp staccato motions. They didn't have eyes, but as she could closer she definitely felt like they could see her. They started moving in her general direction, but didn't look hostile. Still, the overall amount of spikes they had was quite terrifying, and she didn't want to get too low to the ground just yet. She felt the side of her bag for her notebook, but she must have left it in her smaller day bag as it wasn't there. Annoyed with herself, she decided to find a camping place first and come back for the cacti later. After all, they were hard to overlook, and she shouldn't have any trouble finding them back.   
  
She found a spot far enough away from the cacti to hopefully not have any unwanted visits, and pitched her tent. It was really hot now, and the little wind there was felt like it came from an oven. She sat inside for a while and drank some cool water before she donned a thin scarf and headed out again. The cacti were still there, and she watched them from above. It was quite hard to retain her balance as she got out her notebook to make a few quick sketches, so after a while she decided to get down to the ground. The cacti were calmer now, lazily waving their branches without really going anywhere. She guessed they felt the heat, too. She built a small shade with a stick she found and her travelling cloak, and made herself comfortable. Now that the cacti weren't doing too much, she got a chance to look at the other plants around her. The Jumping Cacti were in a sort of clearing, where there weren't many other plants growing. Where she was sitting she was getting some shelter from trees and man-high bushes, but they were mostly leafless and looked half-dead. Different types of cacti were growing all over the place, with the Saguaro being taller than most of the trees.  
  
Around noon, the Jumping Cacti started to move again. Pomona hastily dismantled her shade and grabbed her bag, as they seemed to come straight at her. When she ran to the side, they still kept going at the same trajectory however, and she could see they were actually making for the shade of a small group of Palo Verde trees. There appeared to be a small quarrel as each of them tried to be as close to the trunk as possible, where there was the most shade. After a little while they settled down, knotted together in a compact group and each one apparently satisfied with it's position. Pomona erected her shade again, a bit closer this time, and started drawing some of the cacti. Her pencil slid over the paper, first drawing the abstract lines that composed the shapes and then filling in all the characteristic details. It was still just a situation sketch, they were too far a way for her to see the positions of the spikes and the fruits looked like colored blobs. Not much else happened in the next hour, until she felt something pricking at her side. A small cactus must have hopped over, and was now settling in next to her to enjoy her shade. She quickly made some more space to avoid its spines, and took this opportunity to take a closer look at the anatomy of the cactus.   
  
This one was quite small, just 50 centimeters. Perhaps that was why it hadn't managed to secure a good shady spot beneath the trees, and had come to her instead. It didn't have any fruits yet, and its closely placed long white spikes almost looked fuzzy from a distance. Despite its small size it already had more than twenty branches, often with multiple of them coming from the same place. From this distance she couldn't see any roots, but when it hopped a bit closer to her she could see that it did in fact have a small lump of them, which it nested in the sand to keep its balance. It was almost as if it knew she was drawing it, as it appeared to show off all its branches. When it took another small hop in her direction Pomona hissed, as one of the shorter branches at the end had come loose and was now hanging from her leg. Huffing and puffing she tried getting it off, but couldn't do so without pricking her fingers at the spines. She got her wand out, but wasn't quite sure what sort of spell one was supposed to use for this. In the end, she pinched one of the spines between her nails, and managed to get the thing off her. She tossed it aside, and tried to convince herself she was imagining the disappointed look of the little cactus.   
  
When she'd finished her drawing she was feeling hungry, and decided to go to her tent to cook a proper meal instead of eating another snack. She apologised to the little cactus when she took away her travel cloak, exposing it to the sun again. The sun didn't burn as much as earlier, but it hadn't really cooled down yet. Pomona guessed the climate here would take some getting used to, but so far she didn't mind too much. The jungle had slowly prepared her for the heat, the first few days there she hadn't felt like doing anything and at the end she was just as active as the others. Of course, her charms helped as well. She was also very thankful for the Aguamenti spell. She couldn't imagine having to carry enough water with her, just the food had taken some time and planning to collect in the rainforest and buy in Yuma. She made the resolution to start a small vegetable patch in her tent, that would help with fresh fruit and veggies. But that would have to wait, she didn't have any seeds with her for that. The plants she had taken from the rainforest were doing well though, most of them seemed to have rooted and had started making new shoots and leaves. So she would be able to continue her observations on those, she was mostly curious about uses in potions. The Tertuntong had their own uses of course, but not many of those had similar background to the Herbology and Potions knowledge Pomona was used to, so she wanted to find out how it would translate. That was something for when she got back in the UK though, as she didn't want to spend her time travelling locked up inside experimenting when there was so much to see outside.  
  
Doing research here in the desert, she quickly learned that whole-day excursions were not the best strategy. The middle of the day was so hot that the nicest place to be was her tent, where she'd set up a complicated climate spell to keep the temperature down during the day, and warm enough at night. So it didn't take long for her to adopt a new schedule, with early starts and a nice long break at the middle of the day. There wasn't much to see when the sun was at its hottest anyway, as everything around her seemed to shrivel up and hide in the shade. The cacti were the only moving organisms she could find at the middle of the day, and they would always be chilling under their favorite group of trees. And so Pomona did the same, working in her greenhouses and cooking at noon so she could take some dinner with her when she went outside again. This also meant she could refine the notes she made in the field , and look up background information if she had the right book for it.   
  
The land looked bare and dead at first sight, but Pomona quickly learned to see beyond that. The bed of the dried-out river meandered through the valley like a path, making it easy to walk around. But she preferred to travel by broom, which made it easier to avoid the thorny plants. She enjoyed exploring new spots and finding new plants, but always came back to the group of cacti she had found when she just arrived. Her books didn't have much information about them, but she quickly discovered that they did seem to have some form of intelligence. Whenever she settled down near them, the same little cactus would come sit next to her in her shade, and every day she could get a bit closer without the cacti moving away or throwing spiny branches at her. Their behaviour fascinated her, and she felt like she was forming a kind of friendship when she visited them day in, day out. She collected the branches they dropped, carefully transporting them to her greenhouse and planting them to see if they would start growing.  
  
A week later, Pomona was following the Jumping Cacti. They seemed to be headed somewhere specific: they moved quicker than usual and much more organised. The little ones were kept in the middle of the group, and she even saw one of the smallest cacti being carried. The sun was starting to get low, she suspected it was about an hour before sunset. It was cooler now, almost pleasant, and the sky was turning red and pink. When the cacti started to climb the hill at the edge of the valley, Pomona struggled to keep up and quickly mounted her broom. It was interesting to see how they climbed, using their spiny branches to hold on to anything that protruded from the rocks, and occasionally, each other. When they reached the top, Pomona gaped in amazement. The sun was setting behind the mountains in the distance, coloring the horizon in the most spectacular colours and making elongated shadows from the Hoodoos. The cacti were swaying contently, all turned in the direction of the sun. Pomona just enjoyed the view, forgetting everything else.   
  
But something was moving at the closest set of Hoodoos, something shaped like a human. Pomona wasn't sure, could it be a mirage or some kind of creature or spirit? But the figure moved closer, and definitely didn't look like anything out of the ordinary. Except that a human around here was very much out of the ordinary, not to mention either a witch or wizard or extremely skilled in bushcraft. When it got even closer, Pomona was sure it was a human. She hesitated. The person probably hadn't seen her, as she was sitting behind the cacti. She could just let them go, but her curiosity got the better of her. She stood up, leaving her broomstick behind in case it was a Muggle, and shouted. The other person turned, and they were close enough to see each other clearly now. Pomona had half expected a native American person, but to her surprise it was a Western-looking woman of about her age. They walked in each other's direction, meeting in the middle and both looking quite surprised at this other human in the middle of nowhere.  
  
Pomona was the first to say something. "Eh, hello? I'm Pomona." 

She could see the other woman clearly now. She was slightly taller than her, with short brown hair and a prominent chin. Even in the twilight Pomona could see she was quite handsome. Her clothing was quite similar to Pomona's, and the hat on her head gave Pomona the distinct idea that this was a witch. She wasn't sure though, as the other didn't carry a broomstick or any other obviously magical luggage. All she had was a large backpack, with a small pot hanging from the side and a sleeping bag attached to the top. 

"I'm Will," she said. She had a British accent too, which surprised Pomona even more. 

"Not to be rude or anything, but I didn't expect anyone so far from the beaten track." Pomona said hesitantly. "Are you just travelling, or headed somewhere special?" 

Will shrugged. "Nothing too special, but I heard a valley around here was worth a look so I decided to see it for myself. Should be quite close now?" She gave Pomona a small smile. Pomona carefully measured her words, being sure not to give away she was magical. Though any pretence would probably be hopeless as soon as Will saw the cacti move back, she realised. She got a bit nervous. 

"That's actually where I'm camping, if we mean the same place. It's just over here, but it won't be too easy to get down there I'm afraid." 

"I'll figure something out." Will looked decidedly unconcerned. "But I'll wait until it gets light just in case, I wouldn't want to tumble down in the dark." 

"Sounds good." Pomona said awkwardly, suddenly wondering how she was going to get down there without Will seeing her. "Okay, I'll get going now before it gets too dark, bye!" she said quickly. "Maybe I'll see you around, good luck." 

Will nodded absentmindedly, and luckily she walked away from the group of cacti and Pomona's broom to the shelter of a group of trees that was growing on the edge of the valley. Pomona got back to her belongings, and only then did she realise something that made her slap her head in annoyance. She quickly cast a Muggle-detection charm: nothing. Will must be a witch, and she could have avoided the whole silly scene from before. What kind of weird impression had she made? Still, she used the shelter of the dark and bushes to fly down to her tent, wondering if she'd see the other witch again.


	5. A bag of crisps

The Golden Thread ( _Cuscuta aurinimicus_ ) is a parasitic plant that naturally grows on Aspen and Cottonwood trees ( _Populus_ spec.) in California. In captivity it will grow on most deciduous trees, apple trees being a favorite with breeders. It appears as a tangle of thin golden stems, that will shine in the sunlight and can overgrow the entire tree in a matter of years. The Golden Thread gets most of its food from the host tree, inserting little haustoria into the bark to intercept nutrient flow, but won't shy away from attacking birds or insects that get too close. When it's caught a prey, it will wrap its stems around it and secrete digestive juices to break it down and absorb the nutrients. It's usually hard to see whether a Golden Thread has caught something recently, as the digesting balls don't stand out among the general tangle. The plant can be stunned for ease of transport and care, but shouldn't be kept in this condition for too long because it won't be able to extract nutrients during this time.  
\- _A Beginners Guide To Interesting Houseplants_ by Nico Witherwash

* * *

The next morning, Pomona had forgotten about the stranger she'd met completely. She woke up early as usual, tweaking the climate spell a little to blow cold air in her face in the hope it would make her wake up. It didn't, but she got out of bed anyway. The sun had just risen, and it was quite chilly. Running over the cold floor as quickly as possible, Pomona dashed into the bathroom.  
  
When she had put on some clothes and drank some strong black tea, she felt like a whole different person. She packed her bag, and got her broom. Just when she left her tent, the last evening came back to her. She wondered if the cacti would have come down yet, and what Will had done. But when she flew over their usual spot on her way to the hills, the cacti were sleeping under their tree, unmoving except for the occasional gentle stir. She tried not to think about them in human or animal terms too much, but it was hard. They slept, moved, sunbathed and quarreled just like you would expect from a group of animals, but they weren't. They didn't have eyes, or even a head, but Pomona felt like they could express emotions with the way they moved their many branches. But it was too early for such philosophical thoughts, so she moved on. Watching sleeping cacti wasn't nearly as much fun as it had been the first day, so she decided to try to find some new plants. And well, if she ran into the stranger again, that would be purely coincidental, wouldn't it?  
  
But she didn't run into Will again, and while the idea was very tempting she didn't go looking for her on the plain. She did go farther into the valley than she had before, zigzagging between Saguaros and flying over a dried out forest. The longer she was in the desert, the more she got curious about what would happen here if it rained. Everything should come to life then, because she knew most of the plants around her weren't dead. They were biding their time, waiting for the spring rains to come again. She would have to wait too, if she wanted to see the desert in all its glory, but for now she enjoyed the landscape and flora as it was. The animals kept better hidden than the plants, and apart from the occasional bird of prey circling the sky she didn't see them during most of the day. When she got out later, or really early, she could see insects crawling, birds flying, snakes and lizards hunting and sometimes little mice, running around looking for food and water. At night the bats came out, barely visible against the dark sky, and she could hear coyotes in the distance.   
  
Two days later Pomona was walking along the wadi, headed towards a group of bushes that also housed some magnificent cacti. There was a point where a side-stream joined the wadi, hidden behind a large Saguaro. Pomona walked by without looking, not expecting anything to be there, and almost ran into Will. The other witch had been just as preoccupied, forgetting someone else was there. 

"So you made it down?" asked Pomona awkwardly when she had brushed the dirt of her clothes. 

"What? Oh, yeah." Will was trying, and failing, to hide a broomstick behind her back. Pomona smiled. 

"Look, I know." she said. "You don't need to hide your broom. I was hardly expecting any Muggles getting this far into the desert anyway." 

Will sighed with relief, and wiped some sweat off her face. "Well that solves that problem, I've been trying to avoid you. Come for the Muskhogs too, then?" 

"The what?" 

"I'll take that as a no. Muskhogs, little pig-like things?" 

"Sorry, I've never heard of them. I'm more of a plant person. The population of Jumping Cacti here is one of the largest in the world." 

"I'll make sure to stay out of the way of those, that sounds horrible. Do they like, jump at you?" 

Pomona opened her mouth, then closed it again. "They're not dangerous" she said eventually. "Really, they're kind of cute." 

"And Muskhogs don't stink." said Will. When she saw Pomona's blank look, she added "They do. Quite unfortunate, really. But well, I'll be on my way. Good luck with the prancing cacti." 

"Jumping." Pomona corrected automatically, but Will had already turned around and vanished behind a rock.  
  
Pomona went on her way too, and spent the evening sketching cacti and collecting cuttings. She didn't want to take an entire cactus, but over the last week she'd collected bits of branches here and there and transported them to her tent. It was looking like a proper greenhouse now, with sections with different climates and all the plants neatly labelled. She was running out of soil though, and wanted to grow some vegetables as well now that she couldn't find much to eat outside. Maybe she could afford a trip to a herbology store, there were bound to be some nice ones here with stuff she couldn't get at home. When the idea had gotten into her head it didn't really leave, and over the next day she was studying the cacti with her head in her greenhouse, and the full-earth vegetable patch she was thinking up.   
  
The cacti were on the move again, but this time they didn't seem to have a goal or destination. The group was spread out, and they were hopping around. Pomona was watching them from the air, trying to find a pattern in their movements or social structure. She had learned to recognise some of the cacti, but each time she thought she had figured out which cacti stayed close together or might be related they did something unexpected and she had to start her guesswork all over again. A small group of three had strayed from the herd, and was digging a hole. She moved closer, but before she could land to investigate something else drew her attention. She was high enough to look over some bushes and stones now, and on the other side she saw a hammock. Was that Will's camp? It looked Spartan and minimalistic, with just the hammock, a tarp and a backpack laying around. There were traces of a fire left next to it, and a cauldron was sitting on a rock. While she was watching, Will appeared. She rummaged around in the bag a bit, and started to cut something with her wand. Adding the ingredients to the cauldron, she spelled the fire on and put the cauldron over it. Pomona suddenly realised she was spying on Will, and flew back to the cacti. They had finished their hole, and were lying in it. She landed next to them to take a closer look. The earth they had digged up was cooler and almost moist, and now that the sun was less intense the cacti were sunbathing, with their roots in the cool sand.   
  
Just before sunset Pomona got back to her tent, and while she warmed some of the vegetable stew she'd made earlier she went to her bookcase. There, at the back, was the little volume her father had given her 'In case you come back on your plans of solitude'. _Wizarding Settlements of the World_ wasn't exactly page turning material, but it might come in handy now. She went to the chapter about the United States of America, and looked at the little map. There wasn't much close to her, which was the downside of going to the wilderness. If she wanted a decent nursery, she would probably have to go back to the Mall in Los Angeles where she'd bought food on her way here. The thought wasn't very appealing, but her mental shopping list made her pull through. She needed soil and seeds, and while she hadn't run out of anything some fresh food would be nice too. She also could visit the post office, where she had sent some letters on her way to the desert. Maybe she would even have some replies already. She started tidying her tent, collecting all the things that had managed to find their way outside and putting them away. She would leave her tent here, but nevertheless liked it to be neat and tidy in case she couldn't make it back in one day. Larger animals shouldn't be able to get through her enchantments anyway, but you never knew. The journey should be pretty straight-forward though, now that she knew where she was going she felt confident in the long-distance Apparition that would save her a lot of time.   
  
It took her awhile to fall asleep from all the excitement, and when she woke up it was already completely light and getting hot. But it didn't matter: she wasn't going to be outside much today. She grabbed a piece of bread, too impatient to toast it. Then she got her bag, and not even bothering to go outside she Apparated. It worked, and she was quite proud of herself. She didn't think she'd ever apparated this far before, and she had gotten it right on her first try. The Mall was already buzzing with life, and now that she wasn't headed to the nearest grocery store she took some more time to look around. It looked a lot newer and more polished than Diagon Alley, but if you looked beyond that most of the shops were quite similar. She saw a lot more witches and wizards in Muggle clothing than you would in Diagon Alley, and the ones that wore robes also looked a bit different than at home. But she hadn't come here for the people, so she went to the nearest floor map and looked up where the Herbology store was. There were actually two of them, so she headed to the biggest one first.   
  
It was a completely different experience than the small boutique in Hogsmeade she usually went to. The store was gigantic, and it took her awhile to find the soil department. When she got there, there were more types of earth, dung and potting soil than she had ever seen in her life. Tucked away in the corner of the bottom shelf was a single bag of the soil she used at home, and it looked like the shelves around it were filled with different ground for every one of the plants they sold in the store. She was still looking at it in wonder when a clerk appeared. 

"Can I help you ma'am? We also have bulk soils over there, where you can fill your own bag, if you can't find what you're looking for here." Pomona stared at him. 

"Thanks, but I don't think a lack of choice is going to be the problem here." she muttered. The clerk laughed. 

"What do you need it for?" 

"Just normal soil for starting a garden. I want to grow vegetables and probably some other things, but the picky plants have their own pots somewhere else." 

"I'd go with our Basic Bloomer then, from the bulk department. Maybe add some extra fertilizer every few weeks, but if you do that your veggies should do well." He pointed towards another part of the store, that smelt like dung. "Over there please, don't mind the smell. And if you ask someone to help you they'll Compact the bag for you, so you can take it home easily."   
  
After the soil, Pomona went looking for some seeds. There weren't many normal vegetables around, most of the plants seemed to be magical varieties that promised to grow 'Bigger, Faster and Tastier Than You Can Imagine'. Pomona hesitated, then she got some potatoes, pumpkins and spinach to try it out. Maybe they would be great, who knew? After that she browsed the rest of the store, until she reached a roped-off section labelled 'For Enthusiasts'. At first sight the plants there didn't look very different, but they were less flashy than the products in the rest of the store. She leaned in closer to look at a small apple tree filled with yellow-ish vines, that was labelled 'Golden Thread - Approach with Caution'. As she watched, the vine unravelled and shot up towards a bird that had landed in the top of the tree. It barely managed to escape. One of the other plants in the area startled and honked loudly, its pink flowers twitching. A shop assistant hurried in to calm it down, before some similar looking flowers next to it could start making noise too. Pomona chuckled: that was something she definitely wouldn't buy.   
  
In the end she left with the shrunk bags of soil, some dragon dung fertilizer, her vegetables and the tree with the Golden Thread. The latter was stunned for her, to make it easier to transport. There were no letters for her at the post office, but she did send some of her own. Hanging onto her new belongings tightly, she apparated back to her tent. She dropped the soil when she landed, but all in all she would call it a success. And it was only noon, so after she tweaked the climate spell on the tent she put the bag of soil in the room that was going to be the garden and applied the spell they taught her in the shop. The bag split open, flinging earth everywhere. Pomona coughed, and shook lumps of soil out of her hair. The floor of the room was filled with earth alright, but so was the living room next to it. She sighed, and started shaking out the couch cushions. This was going to take a while...   
  
Finally, she managed to get all the soil away from places she didn't want it. She planted the tree and removed the stunning spell, but after that she didn't feel like continuing today. She put her seeds away in a closet, and sat down on the now earth-free couch. Today had been a good day, but she was utterly exhausted. A little voice at the back of her mind also said that she'd slacked off, doing fun things instead of the work she came her for. But that was nonsense, she could do what she wanted. There was no deadline, no teachers, no homework. She didn't even have a solid goal for herself, just to describe and study and learn out here in the real world. It was harder than she'd thought before she got into it, not just the research but looking after herself, being responsible, and figuring out ways to travel. She enjoyed it thoroughly, but sometimes it would be nice to have a meal waiting for her and someone to share it with. Her stay in the jungle in Borneo had proved that once more, and Pomona was honest enough to accept that she had gotten spoiled a bit. She'd managed alright before, hadn't she? After the bustle of the mall today she enjoyed being alone, but it did get a bit lonely if your only company were moving cacti.   
  
The next morning Pomona got up early again, eager to get back out there and see how the cacti were doing. When the day grew hot, she retreated to her tent and finished setting up her garden with neat rows of sown seeds and signs. After that she rested for a bit, eating snack food she'd bought in the Mall for exactly these types of occasions when she wouldn't feel like cooking. When active in the heat eating enough fat and salt was important, so she decided tortilla crisps totally counted as a healthy meal. After that she made some tea, that she sweetened and cooled down with a Cooling charm as soon as it was done. Armed with her iced tea and broom, she got out into the sunny and hot afternoon. The rising hot air was dancing before her, and she couldn't see too far ahead. That was why she was surprised when she saw a shelter to the right, and decided to land and see what Will was up to.   
  
Pomona landed a bit to the side, in case Will's activities required stealth and silence. And indeed, the shade structure was smartly set up between rocks, so it looked out on a patch of sand and bushes beneath but would be barely visible from the ground. Pomona laid her broom down beside it, and crept inside. Will looked up, but when she saw it was Pomona and not some kind of animal she turned back to the slit in the canvas she was looking trough. "Muskhogs" she whispered, without any further explanation. Pomona looked through another slit, and saw a group of small pig-like creatures with a narrow snout and brown-grey fur. She thought they were quite cute, until one of them yawned and revealed long pointed tusks. The animals were scrabbling around, using their snouts to grub the ground and carefully nibble at cacti. Will was watching them intently, and Pomona understood that she was welcome but would have to entertain herself. So she got out her sketchbook, and started sketching the group of animals out of habit.   
  
After a while she got bored, and started watching Will instead. The other witch was still looking at the Muskhogs, apparently seeing something completely captivating in their movements and appearance. She'd taken her sunhat off, and her hair stood up in all directions. Pomona could only see half of her face, a brown eye with a fascinated look in it and a rosy cheek that might be slightly sunburnt. She was wearing robes that Pomona recognized from the field department of Madam Malkins, light but sturdy. They seemed to be bleached by the sun though, and were much lighter than Pomona's. Her own robes were a dark brown, to hide earth and dirt, but she'd thrown them aside in her trunk because they were too hot for the desert (or the jungle, for that matter). Will's were a light beige, which was a lot more appropriate for the climate but also meant they looked quite dirty. Pomona wasn't one to have remarks about that though, her own clothes were so smudgy they might as well have camouflage printed on them. She did wash them regularly, but one day in the dust undid all her hard work.   
  
Finally, when the sun sank low and glared in her eyes, Will turned to Pomona. "You're more patient than I thought" she said. 

Pomona shrugged. "I mean, my alternative was staring at cacti for hours at a time. This seemed like a nice change. So what are these exactly?" 

"Muskhogs. They're almost indistinguishable from Peccaries, and very shy as well. This has been the only group I managed to track down, but there should be at least three more in this valley according to the tracks I saw. I haven't found proof for it yet, but I think there's something magical in the way they manage to remain hidden. Sometimes I feel like they can make themselves invisible, but of course they never do it when I'm watching." She laughed softly to herself. "Anyway, their tusks are used in potions, they were almost hunted to extinction a few decades ago. Their dung is supposed to be really good for plants as well, notice how the trees around here look a bit more lively? But you would know more about that than me probably." 

Now that it was pointed out to her, Pomona did notice the difference. The Saguaros seemed fatter, their pleats a bit less deep. The Palo Verde and Ironwood trees the Muskhogs were lying under seemed a bit greener than their counterparts she'd seen on her way here. She was intrigued. 

"Would there be a way to collect some of it?" she asked Will. 

"I suppose you could, I've never tried it. But the group travels between this spot and a dried out well a couple of hundred meters away, you could try summoning some if they're not here. Just don't walk over, if they smell you've been there they won't come back. I found that out the hard way at one of their other hangouts, and it was a pain to find them back."  
  
They looked at the Muskhogs again, which were getting a bit more active now that the sun was setting. Two of the young, no bigger than a house cat, were running around and trying to catch each other's tails. The adults were foraging, and some seemed to groom each other. It looked like Will was going to settle in for another long bout of Muskhog-watching, when Pomona's stomach growled. She couldn't help herself, and giggled. When Will looked at her questioningly, she was saved from answering by Wills own growling stomach. 

"Dinner time, huh?" Will said. "It's easy to forget the time out here, but I'm afraid I didn't bring any food. You?" 

Pomona fished the half-finished bag of crisps out of her bag, and offered it to Will. "I highly doubt it's going to work for long, but food is food." Will accepted them with a grin. 

"Damn, where did you get these? Either you have way more self-restraint than me or you brought a pile." She happily munched on a few crisps. "Or did you multiply them?" 

"Neither, I went shopping yesterday. I needed some seeds for vegetables, and well... When you're there already, you might as well buy some fresh food. Stew and homemade bread was starting to get a bit boring." 

"Ugh, don't tell me about it. Did you know that the Muggles have special food for their camping trips? It comes in these little packets, and you only need to add hot water to them. They're really compact and practical, but the taste..."  
  
When they finished the crisps, the sun had set and it was getting dark. Pomona didn't really want to say goodbye, now that they'd finally had a nice conversation. Will seemed to have the same problem, getting her stuff ready to leave but sitting back down every single time. 

Pomona summoned her courage, and asked: "Do you want to come over to my tent? We can cook some actual dinner and continue our conversation." Will smiled. 

"That sounds nice, if you lead the way I'll follow." She pointed to her own broom, visible now the shade structure was gone. 

"Don't you leave it in place for tomorrow?" Pomona asked. Her little shelter had been at the favourite hangout of the cacti for a week, always ready when she got back. 

"Nah, that's just asking for snakes and scorpions in this place. I like animals, but not when they're waiting for me in ambush." She bundled the canvas and tied it to her broom. "Let's go!"  
  
It was a short flight to Pomona's tent, just a few minutes. She started to feel a bit self-conscious now, she'd seen Will's camping place and felt like hers was almost decadent in comparison. Will seemed wholly unconcerned about this though, landing beside the entrance and waiting for Pomona to open the tent. When they went inside, Will whistled softly. 

"Nice tent!" she said. "Do I need to take my shoes off or anything?" 

"If you want to, but I usually don't. Just throw your stuff somewhere, it's a bit of a mess anyway because I haven't put away all my groceries yet." She pointed at empty seed packages and cans of food on the table. Will walked around to get a better look at the room. She stopped at the bookcase. 

"Why is there soil in here?" she asked curiously. Pomona groaned. "Is there? I thought I got it all! I had a bit of an earthsplosion, don't ask." Will laughed. 

"Don't worry, it isn't much. I was just curious. And I think it's a bit funny that you travel around with half a library and two rooms full of plants." Pomona giggled as well now. 

"I have the space for it, might as well use it. Those two rooms started out empty, I had to take the floor and furniture out to get rid of all the mold. But I guess they've almost filled up now, though I'll always manage to find space for one more plant." Will was now wandering in the direction of the garden room, to look at the freshly digged soil. 

"Careful there" Pomona warned. "That Golden Tread in the tree isn't really friendly to strangers, which unfortunately still includes me at the moment. I wouldn't come too close if I were you." 

Will looked at the plant from a safe distance. "Why are so many magical plants so aggressive? First the attacking cacti, now this..." 

"Oh come on, the cacti don't attack you! But I don't know, I think violent plants are just more likely to get noticed. It's hard not to notice something that's trying to kill you or knock you off your broom. But I also saw an amazing plant that lived completely underground except for its small luminous pink flowers in Borneo, but you don't hear about that. Took an awful long time to find too, they only flower once every few years. I thought I was doing something wrong with my detection charm."  
  
Meanwhile, Pomona was rummaging around in her kitchen cupboards for dinner ingredients. In the end, she settled for the fresh bell pepper, maize and onions she'd gotten the previous day, some dried beans and rice. Will offered to cut the vegetables, and did so with a neat quick spell, while Pomona brought water to a boil for the rice and beans. When all the ingredients were cooking they sat down at the table, and got talking about more personal things. Will was from Wales, so Pomona wondered why she didn't remember her from Hogwarts. The age difference between them wasn't that big, after all. 

"Yeah, I did go to Hogwarts." Will said, looking down. "I was a Gryffindor, but I wasn't very social with people from other houses. Or my own house, for that matter. I left after my OWLs to do my NEWTS at Castelobruxo, in Brazil. They focus more on magizoology and botany, and are open for foreign students as well. Most people just stay for a semester though." 

"Gryffindor... Yeah, maybe I've seen you around during your fifth year then, my first. But you probably didn't pay attention to the Hufflepuff firstie that hang around near your common room sometimes." 

"No, I can't say I did, sorry. But you were friends with Gryffindors?" 

"Mostly with Minerva McGonagall, our parents are friends so she was one of the only people I knew when I came to Hogwarts. We still write to each other. But how was Castelobruxo? That sounds amazing, I didn't even know you could go there." 

"It was pretty good." Will said, but she didn't give much details. "Anyway, after that I decided I wanted to see more of the world, so here I am. Did some odd jobs here and there, travelled, the whole nine yards. But I like it here. It's a bit hot, but there are not too many people. Well, apart from you, but you're okay." 

Pomona didn't quite know what to say after that, but after a while the conversation took off again. They talked all the way throughout dinner, until it was late and the stars were shining through the canvas. Reluctantly, Will got up. 

"I really should go to bed." she said. "But thanks for the dinner, it was nice to talk to you. I'll see you around." 

"Likewise" answered Pomona. "You know where to find me." And with that, Will took her stuff and left.  
  



	6. Showers and flowers

When a magical plant readies itself for flowering, anything can happen. If you're studying a plant that is forming a bud, approach with caution when flowering begins. Many flowers have strong magical properties, some can be dangerous, and some attract certain animals for fertilization that you don't want to see from too close. Magical plants might also change their behaviour when they flower, becoming more hostile or actually less so. Study the plant from a distance for a while before you get closer, just like you would do with plants you've never seen before. If the plant seems dangerous, use bait first (see chapter 17 on safe handling of dangerous plants). But most of all, enjoy and make notes and drawings, since flowering seasons can be few and far between. You might be the first person ever to observe this plant in bloom.  
\- _Handbook of Herbology_ by Phylidda Spore

* * *

  
The next morning it took Pomona some time to convince herself that last night hadn't been a dream. She actually made a friend here, in the last place she ever expected it: the unwashed dishes from a dinner for two were the proof of that. She shot a spell at them, frowning when only half of the food residue was removed. Household spells had never been her strong suit. But she got it in the end, and quickly grabbed some bread and honey to eat breakfast outside. Wills shade structure and hide-out wasn't up yet, so she went to her own one. The cacti were already moving, and hopped around in the dusk. They seemed more active than usual, maybe even a bit restless. It fit well with Pomona's mood, and instead of sitting down she walked around to make a thorough description of the surroundings, picking up some leaves and touching the bark of now familiar trees as she went.   
  
When she was fully absorbed in her work, she heard a cough next to her. It was Will, who looked down on her with an amused smile. Pomona blushed, quickly scrambling away from under the prickly bush she was currently studying. 

"Ouch! No, I'm fine! Good morning." 

"Getting up close and personal?" Will asked. Pomona rolled her eyes. 

"I got curious..." 

"Hey, you don't have to defend your life choices to me, we're both here even though the average temperature should be enough indication that it's not really prime camping ground material." 

"It's not?" said Pomona quasi-shocked. "I must have missed that chapter in the travel guide." They laughed. 

"So, what are your plans for today?" asked Will. "More bush-wrestling, or do you want to come explore the end of the valley?" "Sounds like fun." said Pomona. "I might as well, I don't really think these guys are going to do much I haven't seen yet. Though they are a bit restless, I don't know what that is about." 

Will gave her a knowing smile. "But maybe I do..." she said. "So let's go!"   
  
They flew over Will's camp and the spot where they'd first run into each other in the valley, and from there farther upstream than Pomona had ever been before. Will didn't seem to have a set plan, instead she was just flying low and looking at the ground. When Pomona asked what she was looking for, she shrugged. 

"Tracks, animals, landmarks, anything. If I'm right, our exact location won't matter much for what we're hoping to see, but it's always nice to discover something extra. I'm just hoping the weather stays like this." It was slightly cooler than on other days, but the air felt hot and stuffy. Pomona thought back to the restless cacti, and suddenly it all made sense. 

"It's going to rain, isn't it?" Will smiled at her. 

"I sure hope so, but I think I got the predictions right this time. At the end of the valley there's supposed to be a big rock with great view over the plains, if we get there and the timing is right we might see a Thunderbird."    
  
This got Pomona excited too, and they continued along the valley. She could see that it was less wide here, and the river bed ran along one of the sides instead of the middle. The other side of the valley was full of bushes and trees, so Pomona was glad they were flying and not walking. After an hour they ascended a bit as the valley got closer to the surface of the plains, and Pomona could see far over the wide land. The wind was getting stronger, and the chatter of birds grew quiet. There was no animal to be seen, no movement below them from cacti or creatures. They flew the last bit to the gigantic rock, and landed on top of it. Clouds gathered, and Pomona breathed in the silence before the storm. Will pointed towards the horizon, where she could see a dark curtain moving over the land. The rain had come. They sat close together, but neither of them wanted to build a shelter that would obstruct their view.    
  
They watched the rain come closer, watched the dark clouds fly by above them, and listened to the whistling of the wind. It blew sand in all different directions, creating small swirling vortices that almost seemed to dance. They heard the first distant rumble of the thunder, and looked expectantly in its direction. And there it was, diving down through the clouds and already much closer than they thought. The Thunderbird was large, like everything is much larger than you expect when you see it in real life for the first time. It swirled around, its feathers glowing golden in the sunbeams that managed to find their way through gaps in the clouds. When it beat its wings, the clouds gathered closer and darker and rain started to pour down on them. Pomona was instantly soaked, but she didn't care. She watched the multiple sets of wings, mesmerized by their movement. The Thunderbird swept over them, so close that she could see its beak and eyes. But it didn't attack, instead it rose higher and higher into the air, crying and directing the rain over the plains. Pomona could see lightning bolts dancing over its body and in the air around it as it kept beating its wings, but they didn't come down to the ground. The noise of the thunder, rain and the occasional cries of the bird was overwhelming. She could hear its sounds getting more and more distant as got hidden in the clouds again, until it was gone. The clouds separated, letting sun through again. The rain lessened to a drizzle, until it stopped completely. Pomona and Will could only stare at each other, Pomona's amazement mirrored in Will's brown eyes.    
  
After a while, Pomona started to shiver. She muttered a spell to dry her clothes, and Will copied her. Everything around them was wet, the desert quickly soaking up the water like a sponge. Will and Pomona looked at each other, not yet ready to break the magical feeling. Finally, Will spoke up. 

"Well, that was interesting..." 

"That was amazing! Have you ever seen this before?" 

"Nope" said Will cheerfully. "I got a glimpse of a storm in the distance just after I arrived, when I was up in the Northern part of Arizona. But I wasn't sure if there even was a Thunderbird there, I didn't see it anyway. It might have been a normal thunderstorm for all I know." 

"It was wonderful. And it got so close too! I didn't expect that." 

They sat on the rock a while longer. It was drying and heating up quickly now that the sun was shining again, and the landscape in front of them was steaming. Pomona was curious how the plants would react to this downpour over the next few days, and a bit sad that she missed this moment with the Jumping Cacti. Would they have been excited about the rain, or remain hidden somewhere until it was all over? And maybe this would trigger them to flower, that would be really cool. Seeing desert bloom was definitely on her list of things she wanted to do here before she moved on.    
  
But for now she was content just sitting here with Will, enjoying the end of the day together. It was nice, sitting together without the need to talk much. But there was something Pomona had been wondering about, and after a minute she decided to just ask. 

"Your name, is it short for something?" Will looked at her, as if she was trying to gauge her intentions. 

"It's short for Wilhelmina, but I haven't used that in ages. It's hard to pronounce for some folk, and it never fit me anyway." She gave Pomona a small smile. "Have you ever felt uncomfortable with the way people expect you to behave, just because of a name or your appearance?" 

She had to think about that. "Hmm, not really I think... Although people did always think I was a teacher’s pet." 

"Hogwarts Golden Girl?" Will asked.

Pomona snorted. "Hardly, though I have no ground to complain. It's just tiring sometimes, is all. I can understand the attraction of starting over somewhere else."   
  
"No-one knew me when I went to Castelobruxo, so I cut my hair and introduced myself as Will and it was - well not great, but better. I've just been going with it ever since." 

Pomona didn't know what to say to that, so she just nodded. It didn't seem like Will needed much encouragement, now that she was talking. 

"Of course it leads to some people calling me sir, but not too often. And I don't mind, really. It's kind of fun to watch the confusion, and it's not like I actually get offended by it." She smiled. "Castelobruxo is really different from Hogwarts, it's not as hard to not fit in. Not that I really felt like I belonged there either, but I didn't mind as much. And I made friends with some of the staff looking after the creatures." 

"Just marching to the beat of your own drum?" 

"Exactly!" 

"That gets easier with age too, once I had the confidence to just geek out over plants I found that nobody really batted an eye at that." 

"Well, you were a Hufflepuff, isn't geeking out over plants a requirement?" Pomona laughed. 

"Oh, shush! Although you're not really wrong, but there's geeking out and geeking out."   
  
Will gave a pointed look to her and their surroundings, and they giggled. 

"So have you been on the road for long?" Pomona asked. Will shrugged. 

"Ever since graduating, but I alternate working and travelling. Usually I work somewhere for a while until I have enough money to travel again, or I get kicked out. I like travelling better though, I don't get on with most people very well." 

"You seem to be doing okay now." Pomona said teasingly. 

"Well, you're not that bad," Will said. "Not too bad on the eyes either." That made Pomona blush, and she laughed but decided to change the subject before they got into dangerous waters. 

"Do you want to go back? I love it here, but it's getting late and I want to see the cacti before it gets too dark." 

"Okay, let's go then. I'll race you to the canyon!"   
  
They flew back quickly, impatient to check on the Jumping cacti and their luggage respectively. When Pomona arrived at the favorite spot of the cacti they were nowhere to be seen, and her shade was drooping sadly to one side. It clearly had had some issues with the storm, but she would fix that later. For now she wanted to find the cacti, and see how they were dealing with the recent rain. She had to fly around for a bit, but finally she saw them. They were all huddled up together next to a cave at the edge of the valley, and the churned-up soil and bits of broken-off stem inside it were the proof that they had used it for shelter during the rain. But now they were slowly moving out again, rooting deep into the moist soil to suck up as much water as possible. They didn't move much for the next hour, as each of them seemed content to stand and drink. After that they slowly made their way down to their bushes again, but remained next to them in the sun. Pomona watched them for a while, and after that started to resurrect her shade structure. There was no permanent damage, it had just collapsed under the sheer force of the pummeling rain. She dried it with her wand, and put the sticks in the ground again. After fifteen minutes it looked just like before the storm, and she decided to check if Will's belongings had survived or if she needed any help.    
  
When she got to Will's camp, Will wasn't there. But everything was still standing and looked pretty dry, so Pomona didn't worry. She went to the hide-out instead, and found Will repairing the shade structure as silently as she could. When Pomona landed, she waved and pointed at the gap in the rocks. Pomona crouched over, and saw that the bare bit of ground had turned into a mud pool. The Muskhogs were rolling around in it, making soft grunting noises and looking pretty happy. She smiled. 

"Looks like we weren't the only ones enjoying the storm" she whispered. 

They watched the Muskhogs for a while, until Pomona got bored. "I think I'm going to my tent" she said. "If I prepare some more space for them today I can make more cactus cuttings tomorrow. I've read that the best time to do it is right after the rain, when they're sucked full of moisture." Will nodded. 

"Have fun. Is it okay if I come around sometime this evening? I want to stay here for a little bit, but I enjoyed talking to you before." 

Pomona tried not to sound too eagerly when she replied, with a warm glowing feeling in her chest. "Yeah, sure! I'll see you later, then."    
  
Over the next week, they developed a new routine. Pomona and Will would each start their day at their own pace and doing their own research, but somewhere during the morning they would find each other and do something together. After a siesta they would separate again, but come together in Pomona's tent in the evenings to have dinner and relax. Slowly some of Will's possessions started to find their way into the tent, and Pomona subtly made room for them in the cupboard in the living area. When Will found all her stuff neatly on a shelf the next day, after Pomona had cleaned the tent, she laughed. 

"I might as well move camp, with how much I'm here." 

And she held her word, going back to her hammock and bags and returning an hour later with all her luggage. She looked around the campsite, and found some trees to hang her hammock in between. After that she came into the tent even more, preferring Pomona's stove over her own little fire to make her morning tea.    
  
Pomona's research had changed a bit too. She still visited the Jumping Cacti, but didn't spend her entire day there anymore. She'd started to investigate the Muskhog hangout from a distance, comparing the trees and bushes there to the ones that didn't receive the dung on a regular basis. After three days the Muskhogs finally moved somewhere else, and in the few hours they were gone Pomona summoned enough dung to start experimenting with it. She was quite happy with this chance to do some useful work inside her tent, where it was nice and cool. She didn't have too much time for it though, because just days after the thunderstorm the first buds started appearing on some of the plants around her. It was just a summer storm, so the mass bloom of perennials wouldn't happen, but all around her cacti and trees were preparing to flower. She was elated when she discovered the first buds on the Jumping Cacti, in little groups at the ends of the branches of some of the bigger cacti. She could walk between them without issue now, as they were completely used to her presence. She used this to her advantage to draw the buds and keep a close eye on them, hoping they would blossom soon.   
  
A week after the first one another storm arrived, but this time Pomona nor Will could find a Thunderbird. They discovered the advancing clouds too late to go to the end of the valley, but managed to get to the plains closest to their camp just before the rain started. The downpour was just as heavy as the last one, but there was no lightning, no thunder and no Thunderbird. But this time it seemed to bring even more life to the desert than last time, since all plants were already forming flowers and using the water to grow. When Pomona left her tent the next morning, everything seemed so much greener. When she looked better, she realized that the ground was covered with seedlings of poppies and devil's claws, and that the cacti seemed to shine with freshness. The pincushion cactus next to her tent had burst into flowers, and she ran towards the Jumping Cacti as quickly as she could.    
  
The buds hadn't opened yet, but they looked like they were very close. She could already see the deep red and purple shining through, maybe they would flower after another day of sunshine. She was restless that day, trying to get other things done but returning to the Jumping Cacti every hour to check on the buds. When the sun got low in the sky she suddenly remembered that some desert plants bloomed at night, and went to her tent to get a blanket and food. Will was already in the tent, lounging on the couch and lazily flipping through a recipe book. When she heard what Pomona was up to, she decided to come and keep her company. When the sun set behind the hills at the edge of the valley they were all set in the shade structure, ready for the night.   
  
The stars were coming out, and instead of settling in for the night like they did the previous times Pomona stayed after sunset the cacti got out into the clearing beside the group of trees they'd rested under during the day. Their movements were slow and deliberate, as they formed a circle with the biggest cacti in the middle and the smaller ones without any buds to the sides. It was a full moon tonight, and while it rose the cacti were slowly swaying in the moonlight. Pomona was thankful for the light: she could clearly see what was going on, now that her eyes were used to the dark. Next to her Will shuffled a bit, also watching the cacti. They didn't need words for this moment, just like when they'd been watching the storm before. Two hours after sunset it started to get cold, and Pomona and Will grabbed the blankets they had brought. They cacti were starting to move again after their stationary period, and slowly moved in their circle. It was like they were performing a slow silent dance in the moonlight.   
  
The movement of the cacti got quicker, like their dance was reaching a climax. They went too fast to see which branches belonged to which cactus, as they were swerving in the dark. Suddenly, all movement stopped. The largest cactus was standing in the middle of the circle like a statue, and as a moonray hit its top on of the flowers burst open. Pomona couldn't see its color in the dark, but as it seemed to drink in the moonlight it started to glow in a light, delicate blue hue. More flowers were opening around it, and on the other cacti. Each of them glowed, and when the flowers were open the cacti started to wave their arms again in a lazy fashion. It looked like a swarm of fireflies had come out, as the moving flowers mirrored the stars above. Pomona watched with an open mouth. Then a small dark shadow flew in front of the flower she was watching, and Will poked her in her side. 

"Look, bats!" she whispered. 

More and more bats came, attracted by the glowing flowers that were undoubtedly visible far into the surrounding valley. 

"Want to get closer?" asked Pomona softly. "I can't really see them from here, but if we don't use our wands for light I think we won't scare them away and we can get close enough to see them in the light of the flowers. Just don't fly into a cactus."   
  
They picked up their brooms, and rose to join the circling bats in the air. Pomona, who was more used to being close to the cacti, dared to fly a little bit faster than Will, who was keeping a safe distance whilst still trying to get a good look at the bats. Pomona hovered next to a big flower, and now that she was close she could see the dark red color of the flower under the blue glow it emitted. As she was watching the petals a bat flew closer and hovered in front of the flower, beating fast with its wings to keep in the same place. When the glow lighted its head, Pomona saw that it didn't look like any other bat she'd seen before. Instead of the mouse-like flat snout she was used to, its head was elongated and scaly. It opened its small beak and put its entire head in the flower. Its wings were shiny and smooth, showing a blurred reflection of the flowers around them. It had tiny claws at the end of the wings, and clawed legs under its belly. When it was done eating the inside of the flower, it retracted its head that was now dusted with shimmering pollen. When it flew away, Pomona saw a long black tail. That was the final proof she needed: her Jumping Cacti were pollinated by some sort of miniature dragon. She tried to burn its appearance in her memory, so she could draw it later. Another bat-dragon flew towards the flower beside her, and seemed to look at her directly until it decided she formed no threat and continued to eat.   
  
Just as suddenly as the blooming had started, it stopped. The glowing stopped so suddenly that it felt like someone had turned off the light, and Pomona almost flew into a cactus while her eyes adjusted to the moonlight again. The little dragons were gone, and Pomona carefully landed next to the shade. Will was already there, her teeth reflecting the light as she smiled. 

"They were dragons!" she whispered excitedly, as they settled down beneath the blanket again. 

The cacti were standing still, their silhouettes just visible in the moonlight. While Pomona waited for her eyes to get used to the darkness again, they slowly started to move. The little cacti at the edge of the circle moved first, slowly backing away from the clearing and going under the trees. The cacti that had flowered slowly moved their branches, but stayed in place. After a while they let their branches down, as if they relaxed for sleep. Pomona stayed watching them for a bit longer, but when an hour had passed and nothing happened she yawned and got up. 

"Want to go inside?" she asked Will. 

"Oh God yes, but that was definitely worth the cold." 

They retreated silently to the tent, feeling safe to light up their wands when they were far enough away from the cacti to disturb them. Pomona opened the flap of her tent, and Will ducked under her arm to get in. Pomona stepped in behind her, letting the tent open to see the starlit sky.    
  
Will walked into the little kitchen. "Want some tea?" she asked. "I'll probably stay up for a while to make notes and drawings, if you don't mind." 

"Not at all, I'll join you. I don't think I could sleep anyway, I'm too excited and I don't want to forget any of this." 

Pomona put her bag on a chair and took her notebook out. Will had put the kettle on, and was now looking at the meager pile of books she had brought into the tent the previous week. She was muttering to herself: 

"And of course I didn't take the encyclopedia about dragons, why I thought I wouldn't need it I'm not sure... Let's see, maybe in here?" 

Pomona smiled, and started sketching. "It almost feels like being back in school and doing homework, don't you think? I missed that, just sitting together with friends and working on something." 

"I don't know what school you went to, but even Castelobruxo wasn't this exciting." Will laughed. "But you're right, it does feel a little like that. Did you often make homework together?" 

Pomona looked up. "Didn't you? I feel like it never ended in Seventh year, but before that we worked hard too. Though part of our time in the Herbology Club was just writing notes back and forth in our club notebooks. They come in pairs, and everything you write in one appears in the other." 

"Why?" Will frowned.

Pomona pointed at her current sketchbook, with brown smudges and wrinkly pages. "Field notebooks don't tend to survive very well, it's good to have a back-up." 

"Isn't that a little overkill for a school club?" 

"You clearly have never had your homework eaten by a fanged geranium." Pomona huffed. Will laughed at her indignant face. 

"And you have?" she asked, laughing. "I'm learning more and more about the dangerous field of Herbology."   
  
It was a while, before Wilhelmina spoke up again. "If you were so close with people at Hogwarts, how come you're all alone in a desert right now? Why go away from all that?" She looked at Pomona, who shrugged. 

"I wanted to see the world, discover new plants. I can keep myself company, though I won't deny I miss them. I just really enjoy what I'm doing. Something like tonight, you can't experience that if you stay at home." 

"That is true." Will said, but Pomona felt she didn’t really understand. 

"Then why do you travel alone?" 

"I said it already, I just get fed up with people. Or they get fed up with me, same thing. The gossip starts and I decide it's just easier to leave." She looked down, clearly a little uncomfortable with the topic. Pomona hesitated. 

"Why do they always gossip? If you want to talk about it, of course." 

Will smiled a little. "It's fine." She put her quill down, and capped her ink bottle. "Just the usual, how it's weird that I have my hair short and curse like a sailor." Pomona lifted an eyebrow. "I know, managed to get that out of my system again. Dragon wranglers have quite the vocabulary, I'll tell you that. But it just never worked out. And I’m a lesbian, and even if they didn't say so outright they picked up on things." 

Pomona choked on her tea, but managed to play it off as a big gulp. "You are a lesbian?" she asked, slightly hoarse. 

"You got a problem with that?" Will asked, but it didn't sound harsh. Pomona swallowed. 

"No, it's just... I've never met another one before."   



	7. Did you think I'd let you go alone?

The Desert ironwood ( _Olneya tesota_ ) is one of the few trees in the warm and arid ecozone with wood suitable for wandmaking. Most specimens get to a height of about 10 meters, although they can grow higher in areas that are undisturbed and sheltered. The leaves are blue-ish green and pinnately compounded, with thorns at the place of the stipules. Trees of wandwood quality can be distinguished by their greater size, straight branches and the presence of elf owls, who build their nests in the trees and ward off pests (the mechanisms behind this magical phenomenon are not yet fully understood).  
\- excerpt from _Wandmaking: Lore and Legends_ by Laurelis Leavegripe

* * *

  
The next morning, Will and Pomona slept late and grinned at each other all through breakfast. The previous evening had changed things between them, but Pomona didn’t feel ready to talk about that yet. Instead, she chatted about unimportant things, wished Will a good day, and went outside. The cacti were back to their usual places and business when Pomona got there. All that was left as proof from the flowering were tracks in the ground signifying where the circle had been, and the closed flowers on the branches of the cacti. The bat-dragons were nowhere to be seen. Will said she would go looking for them, but didn't sound very hopeful about finding them. Maybe they would come out when other cacti flowered at night, so they both combed the valley for large cacti with buds. But the Saguaro's weren't getting ready for flowering, and they didn't find any other Cholla cacti, jumping or not. Pomona looked at the books Will had brought, and some of her own that focussed more on magizoology. But none of them mentioned anything about bat-like dragons that lived in these surroundings, or anywhere else for that matter. It was likely that the mystery would remain unsolved.   
  
Pomona kept observing the cacti, while the fruits were slowly riping. Will was a bit more all over the place, alternating her Muskhog research with searching the valley for signs of the bat-dragons and other animals that lived in hiding. In the evenings they hang out together, and Pomona was starting to really look forward to those moments. They would cook something together, eat and talk about everything under the sun. Their research subjects and previous travels were a favorite subject, but they also talked about school, their childhood, and random other things that came to mind. But there was some trust established between them, and Pomona found herself talking about aspects of her life she’d never really talked about before.They could laugh about her very awkward crush on a classmate, or Wills uncomfortable attempts at steering conversations away from dating. And while Pomona knew she was lucky to have an understanding friend at home, it was nothing like having somebody who actually knew what it felt like.   
  
One evening they were sitting in her tent, Pomona busying herself with the plants in her garden and greenhouse and Will sitting at the table, surrounded by books and bits of parchment. The table was big enough for both of them, with no danger of Pomona's sprinkling earth or struggling plants wreaking havoc on the books. Some of the plants she'd collected in the jungle had grown quickly, and needed more space already. The desert plants were a lot slower, but she was still planting cuttings and collecting seeds. Her vegetables had come up and did indeed grow quicker than the ones she'd grown at home. She also wanted to start testing the Muskhog dung, but she would need normal plants for that as test subjects besides the desert plants she had collected. When all the work was done she waved her wand to clean up, and looked at Will. 

"Found anything interesting yet?" 

"Not really, but I'm just cross-referencing at this point. Did you say you had that book about Arizona by Newt Scamander?" 

Pomona scratched her head. "Yeah, it should be here somewhere. Wait a moment, I haven't used it much recently." She rummaged around on her bookshelf, still finding some earth when she pulled out the book she was looking for. She sighed, wiping it away after she handed Will the book. 

She really should take an example from Will, all her own notes were still just that: notes. But she didn't feel like working anymore tonight, and after a little while Will closed her books as well. 

"I really should find a bookstore if I want to do this properly, I chose not to take too many books and now I have to pay the price for that. I miss the library of Castelobruxo, I definitely under-appreciated it when I was there." 

"Same here," Pomona agreed. "When you're at school you just get so used to all the information being right there, or just a Hogsmeade visit or owl away if you're looking for something obscure. And I can't just go buy a book every time I need to check one little thing, that would get expensive really fast." 

"Maybe I'll stop by somewhere when I get away from here" Will contemplated. Pomona felt her stomach sink. Leaving... It was something she didn't try to think about, but she knew it was getting close. The fruits of the Jumping Cacti were almost ripe, and after that she didn't really have much to do here anymore. She had seen every nook and cranny of the valley, and enough of the plants on the plains above. And if Will's sudden bookishness was any indication, she was running into the same problem.    
  
"Do you know where you want to go yet?" she asked carefully. Will shrugged. 

"There isn't really a method to my madness. But I'm thinking somewhere North, I could do with a cooler climate when summer really kicks in." 

Pomona immediately had visions of her and Will, walking through the woods in a cooler place, tracking animals and plants together. But she put it out of her head, surely Will would want to go her own way. This meeting had been wonderful while it lasted, but they both had plans to follow and places to go on their journey, and those wouldn't overlap. Although she hadn't really thought much about where she wanted to go next, she had subconsciously avoided every thought of the lingering goodbye. Now she started thinking about it, about the list of locations she'd made back home when she started planning. It was probably around here somewhere, along with the map of the world her friends had given her before she left to mark all the places she'd visited on.   
  
They let the topic rest for that night, but now that it was out in the open Pomona couldn't get it out of her head. So the next afternoon, when they were sitting in the hide-out and watching the Muskhogs, she brought it up again. 

"I think the fruits only need a few more days, I should be leaving after that." Will didn't really react, only giving an uncommitted nod. "How long do you think you'll be staying for?" Pomona asked.

"Something like that as well I think, not much to do here except stare at the Muskhogs and hope they'll start doing tricks." Pomona giggled, partly from the nerves. 

"I've been thinking about it, and I think I want to go to Canada next. The coastline in the South-West has interesting forest and is pretty much desolate for hundreds of kilometers North of Vancouver, there's bound to be some interesting magical stuff there." 

"Sounds good." said Will. Pomona looked at her, but it was hard to read Will's face. She tried finding signs of what was going on in the other woman's head, but reached a blank. After a while, Will spoke again. "I was kind of thinking about the same area, would you mind if I joined you?" 

It was like a weight had been lifted from Pomona's chest, like she could breathe again. "No, of course not!" she said a little too loudly.   
  
They didn't get much work done after that. Will was still half-heartedly watching the Muskhogs, but they were softly talking about their travel plans the entire time. After a while they retreated to the tent, to get out books and maps and make concrete plans. The more they talked about it, the more excited and impatient Pomona got. Will looked happy too. She didn't give much input about the exact location they should go, saying she didn't mind too much. So that part came to Pomona, who tried to find back all the relevant bits in her Herbology books and spent half an hour bent over her maps. When she'd made her decision, they started to think about the journey. Will wanted to find a book shop, and both of them needed to buy more food. Even though they didn't need to cross any oceans this time, the distance they needed to travel was still gigantic. Pomona didn't want to do all of it by apparating small distances at a time, since that would still take days. At any rate, Will felt less comfortable about long-distance apparition, so that option was dropped. They decided to go to Los Angeles, and try to find a Portkey from there. Will oppered that if all else failed they could always fly, but that option didn't seem very fetching to Pomona. She liked flying, but had learned her lesson in Poland. An entire day on a broom was exhausting, and gave her aches in muscles she hadn’t even known existed.   
  
When all the excitement of their new plans had settled down a bit, Pomona started to fully realize what leaving meant. Despite the challenging heat she'd grown fond of the desert, and everything in it. She was going to miss all the little things in her routine, the Jumping Cacti and the fact that she knew her way around here with her eyes closed now. Their camp and little shade structures would be gone, but they were leaving little paths behind in the places they came most often. Their footprints would remain, until the next storm at least. Pomona took some more pictures of the landscape and their little camp, wishing to keep the memories fresh. Her camera was now filled with photos from the jungle and desert, as well as some snapshots of the people she had met, most importantly Will. She reminded herself to get some new film and developing potion when they went shopping.   
  
The last few days in Arizona flew past. Pomona was walking around more than she had before, moving from the cacti to a thousand little things she only now remembered she still wanted to do. The cactus fruits were coloring darker and darker red as the days passed, and on the day before their planned departure they started falling to the ground. They were soft when Pomona picked them up, careful not to touch the spikes. She collected all the fruits that were ripe now, seeing that there would be enough left that would ripe in the coming days to keep the population intact. She took them to her tent, and flipped to the chapter about fruit preservation in her Handbook of Herbology. She wanted to test the magical properties of the fruits as well as try to grow the seeds, so she needed to get methodical about it. When Will entered the tent three hours later, Pomona was still cutting fruit at the table, labelling different bags and putting different spells on the fruits inside them. She strained all the seeds to dry them, except for one of the fruits that she kept whole and layed down in a pot of desert sand as if it had fallen down naturally. That night they stayed up late again, watching the cacti and half hoping for a return of the weird bat-like dragons now that the fruits were ripe. But the sky stayed empty, and the only animals that seemed to be attracted by the fruits were little kangaroo rats that weren't magical according to Will. Around two in the morning they fell asleep in the shade structure, wrapped in the blankets they had brought and cuddled together against the cold.    
  
Pomona woke up the next morning with something prickly in her neck. She rolled away from it, closer to Will, but the prickling continued. Sitting up and opening her eyes, she saw it was the little Jumping Cactus that had always joined her in her shade structure. The sun was up, but not very high and hot yet, and all the other cacti were still standing in the clearing and absorbing the sun rays. The little cactus must have simply come to see what she was up to, already in the shade structure so early. When she closed her eyes and looked through her eyelashes, she could almost see it looking at her investigatively. Will woke up too, looking a bit puzzled at Pomona, who was talking softly to the cactus. 

"Oh god, are they coming for us?" she asked sleepily. 

"Shush." said Pomona. "It's way too early for your sarcasm." 

"It's never too early for sarcasm." answered Will in mock-protest, but she turned around and seemed to go to sleep again. That wasn't really Pomona's plan either, she kind of wanted to get going. It would probably take longer than either of them expected to get all their stuff packed, and she had no idea at what time the International Portkeys would go. If they also wanted to shop, they should try to be in Los Angeles as early as possible. So she got up, taking not only her blanket but also Will's as she went to her tent. The little cactus hopped behind her for a bit, but when she got too far away from the rest of the cacti it turned around. She felt a little pang of sadness, she had grown used to its presence.   
  
Pomona had put everything away and packed a day bag when she returned to the shade structure. Will was gone, and the little cactus was sitting contently in her place. She tried shushing it outside, but it either didn't understand or pretended not to understand. 

"Stay if you want" she said to it, "but your nice little shade is going to go away now." 

She started to break the structure down around it, but it didn't seem to care. When she picked up the poles and canvas and put it over her shoulder, it started hopping after her again. This time it didn't turn around, and when she arrived at her tent she turned around to find out it was still there. When she opened her tent and went inside, it hesitated in the opening for a little while before hopping in. It went straight for the greenhouse area, and when she put down one of the empty pots with desert sand she had prepared for experiments with the seeds and Muskhog Dung it jumped in and settled down, burrowing its roots with a satisfied little wiggle. Pomona didn't quite know what to do or say about this, but she thought it was quite clear that the little cactus wanted to come. And if she was completely honest she was happy that it did. She would never take one of the cacti from the herd, but she had started to grow really fond of their personalities. It would probably take years for her cuttings to reach that size, if they even took, and the little cactus would bring some extra life to her tent. She smiled at it, and started to giggle when she imagined Will's reaction to this new addition.    
  
While Pomona had done all this, Will had also taken down her various shade structures and hide-outs, that were safe to stay up at night now thanks to Pomona's barrier charms. She had already packed her hammock and other things in her backpack, everything fitting inside with what had to be magic. Pomona started packing her tent, after checking she had everything she would need outside of it. She kept her broom inside, even though it would be a hassle to get it out it would be better than having to shop with a broom in her hand. When they had everything, they looked around their little camp one last time. They hadn’t even left yet, and Pomona already felt a little homesick. Will seemed to have similar feelings, the usual stoic woman looking as though she might cry a little. But she didn't, and after they had both had a moment to gather themselves they held hands and Pomona Apparated them to the Portkey Office in Los Angeles.   
  
When they landed in the Apparition spot Will looked around, not having been there before. Pomona already knew the way, although her only visit had been a while ago. They informed at the desk, but they would have to wait a day for a Portkey to Vancouver. Deciding that this was still a better option than flying, they wrote down their names and put their luggage in the holding area so they wouldn't have to carry it around. They went to the Mall, and to Pomona's delight they discovered a second-hand shop she hadn't seen on her previous trips. Here they spent the better part of the day, mostly looking at the extensive book section. Will found some books that should help her to finish her article about the Muskhogs, as well as a book about the other Fantastic Beasts of Arizona. She sat down in one of the poofy chairs to read while Pomona looked around in the rest of the store. She needed more flower pots, if she didn't want to resort to transfiguring random pieces of trash. Will joined her again, and they spent a hilarious fifteen minutes picking out the few normal pots the store had and also a few hideous ones that had to have been from an old witch with terrible taste. Pomona finally put her foot down when Will started looking for more ugly pots, and said that this should last her for quite a while. When they had payed, they went back to the holding area to get their bags. They had seen a hostel on their way to the second-hand shop, and could stay there for the night. Their Portkey would leave in the afternoon, so they could shop for groceries in the morning. They went to one of the many little restaurants for dinner, and after that they made it an early night. Pomona was exhausted from all the activity and impressions of the day, and fell asleep quickly.   
  
They woke earlier than their roommates, and got out quietly for breakfast. After that they did their grocery shopping. Will treated Pomona at lunch at a nice cafe with wooden interior and lots of plants, and when they were done it was already time to go back to the Portkey Office. They shared the Portkey to Vancouver with a family going on holiday, so together they had a lot of luggage and it got quite crowded. But everyone managed to touch the silver token, and Pomona felt the familiar pull when they were transported. Customs was less of a hassle in Canada than it had been to enter the US, but they still needed to fill in some forms and show their passports and wands. By the time they were done it was just after four o'clock, so they decided to find a temporary camping place for that night and go to their final destination the next they. The Ministry official at the Portkey Office gave them instructions for Apparating to a wizarding campground thirty kilometers North of Vancouver, which sounded perfect for their needs.   
  
Pomona had never seen anything like the campground before. It was pretty basic, just places for tents in the forest and a toilet and water pump in a central place. About half of the places were occupied, mostly by Canadian families. But since everyone there was a witch or wizard, there was no need to hide magic. Kids were flying around on toy broomsticks, people were cooking on bright blue and purple fires, a few teenagers were holding a mock-duel and others were messing around with a canoe on the river that was just visible through the trees. Everybody was relaxed, waving friendly when Pomona and Will hauled their bags past them. They found an empty spot next to the river, and started to unpack. Will decided to hang her hammock inside the tent, so she helped Pomona with the set-up before putting her bags inside. One of their neighbours came by to say hi, and told them a bit more about the wildlife safety.    
  
"There aren't that many animals here since it's quite close to the city and there's a busy muggle campground just a few kilometers away, but the area still houses black bears and mountain lions, as well as the occasional bobcat or pack of wolves. There's spells on this area to keep them out, but when you're camping somewhere else you have to put up your own or put all of your food away in a tree. When you encounter them you can stun them in a pinch, but I prefer a simple Impedimenta so I can get the hell out of there, it's less disturbing to the animals. If you go far North you can also see Waheela's, but I'd honestly try to avoid that. Horribly frightening, those are." 

At these words, Pomona grinned at Will, who definitely looked interested. She mimed opening a book, indicating that she'd read about those. They thanked the friendly guy, and went inside to cook in the kitchen rather than finnick around with a fire. As soon as they were inside, Will burst into laughter. 

"Waheela are giant white-furred wolves" she explained to Pomona. "But they're supposed to ambush you, hidden in snowy forests way up in the Northern Territories. Except that my book said they only attack moose, so they shouldn't be dangerous to humans at all. Though they probably look really scary, it would be wicked to see them hunt." 

Pomona smiled too. "You want to look for them?" Will shrugged. 

"I don't know, depends on how it goes here and whether or not I feel like freezing my toes off. It's probably pretty hard for you to work if everything's covered in snow too." While this was definitely true, it warmed Pomona's heart that Will seemed to assume they would stick together for a while.   



	8. The colours of a sunset

The Darnaquill ( _Adiantum caerulus_ ) is a species of Maidenhair fern with blue sheening leaves. These leaves are an adaptation to the dark and moist forest floors where it grows, as well as a way to attract the Spitsers it lives with. These sparrow-size black birds make their nests under the Darnaquill's leaves, where they are hidden from predators. Their droppings provide nutrients to the fern, that uses a special pigment that the birds excrete to get its shiny blue leaves. The ɬəʔamɛn First Nations that live in the Northern stretches of the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland call the Darnaquill čičiɬɛm tagəkʷayɩn, which translates to 'fern dancer'. This refers to the waving motions that the Darnaquill makes with its leaves to attract the Spitsers. Darnaquills can be used for cough syrups or in potions against nausea, and is used by the ɬəʔamɛn peoples in ritual costumes.  
\- Excerpt from _Medicinal Plants from the Sunshine Coast_ by Sliammon Elders  


* * *

They got up early again, but in contrast to the hostel in Los Angeles the campground was already buzzing with life. They ate breakfast outside, to watch the madness of fifty witches and wizards of all ages getting up and running around (the first for the parents, the second for the children). Their friendly but slightly misinformed neighbour came stumbling out of his tent with his wand in his hand, pointing it sleepingly at the old fire to light it again. Then he levitated a pot onto the fire and sat down, staring into the flames. Pomona could smell a hint of coffee over the scent of the burning wood and damp forest, and sipped her own tea. She leaned slightly against Will, and together they enjoyed the morning in silence.    
  
After that, they got going. They put everything they wouldn't need during the day, including Will's luggage, in the tent. Then they packed the tent into its bag, and bound it onto Pomona's broom. Will also had a bag on her broom, with their food, extra clothes, compass and the more detailed map they had bought in Vancouver. But their general directions would be easy, following the coastline North until they saw a nice desolate place where they wanted to stay. A few kids waved at them when they were ready to go, applying a Disillusionment Charm before they took off. It wouldn't pass close inspection, but as long as they flew right above the treetops or in the cover of the clouds nobody would be able to see them.    
  
Pomona felt free again when they zigzagged between the trees, slowly climbing until they were flying over the forest at a moderate pace. She had enjoyed their days in the city, shopping around and not having to cook. But two days was enough, and she smiled as she felt the wind in her hair, tugging at her hat. Will was flying next to her, and smiled too. 

"That's better" she said happily. "I think I reached my people-limit a full day ago." 

Pomona pretended to be offended. "What about me?" she asked. 

"Oh shut up, you don't count. I don't know why, but somehow you're not nearly as annoying as the rest." They laughed. Then Pomona pointed down in the distance. 

"Look, I think I can see the sea!" 

They sped up, and soon enough they could clearly see the waves of the Pacific Ocean. There was a small strip of rocks where they met the land, and sometimes a pebbly beach, but otherwise the forest almost reached the waterline. But the Ocean wasn't some vast body of water here. In the distance they could see the shadow of Vancouver Island, and closer by a tiny island with just a few trees stood in the surf.    
  
Every now and then they flew over houses or streets, but most of the time all they saw were trees, rocks and water. They flew for a few hours, sometimes at a sedate pace so they could talk and sometimes speeding up, watching the forest fly by underneath them. They chased each other around, zigzagging as if to avoid the large boulders far below. Then they landed on a little beach, and took a break. The tide was low, and they could see sea stars and anemones on the rocks closest to the waters. In some places water had been trapped by the rocks, forming little aquaria full of life on the empty beach. While Will took a closer look at the tide pools, Pomona walked to a big tree that had been washed ashore a long time ago, bleached by the salt and stripped from its bark. She rummaged around in Will's bag, finding their sandwiches and the little cakes they had gotten the previous day. 

  
By the time she'd set it all out on the tree for a little picknick, Will returned. 

"Let's find a place where we're really close to the beach." she said. "I like this, and the forest starts right there so you can have all the plants you want." 

"It's not just plants that live in the forest, you've just fallen in love with the sea." 

Will laughed. "Guilty as charged. Haven't you?" She grabbed one of the little cakes. "Oh, this is good. Why don't people in Britain use cornflour instead of just wheat?" 

"I don't know, it grows well enough there. But yeah, the cakes are really nice. Pity we won't be able to get them here." 

"All we need is to reverse-engeneer the recipe, that shouldn't be too hard." said Will confident. 

"So I have to trust you in my kitchen?" 

"You already trust me in your kitchen!" 

"To make tea, yes... I haven't forgotten the black bean salsa incident yet." 

"Oh come on, I got it off of the ceiling. Who knew those peppers would be so enthousiastic?" 

Pomona laughed. "To be fair, that could have happened to me too." she admitted. "They really were a bit weird." Pomona smiled at Will. The other witch had taken her hat off, to ‘feel the seabreeze in my hair’. It looked even messier than usual now, but Pomona liked it. It made her look slightly careless, and paired with her wide grin it matched how Pomona felt perfectly.   
  
After their lunch they looked at the map. According to Will, they were almost halfway to the end of Vancouver Island, and they should start seeing a lot more smaller islands now as the inlet got more narrow. There weren't a lot of towns on this part of the map, except for a small wizarding village and a First Nation reserve. That would suit their needs well, so when they approached the island groups half an hour of speedy flying later they started looking for places to land. They didn't want an island that was too small, so they settled for a peninsula that, according to the map, stretched out far into the ocean with lots of small inlets and coves, just like an island. But the connection to the mainland would mean that there was more chance it was populated by some of the animals that would have trouble swimming to an island, which pleased Will. Pomona didn't care much: the seeds and spores of the plants she was interested in would easily cross the small strip of ocean between the islands and the mainland, as all the tiny islands that were just a big rock with about ten trees on it proved. But of course Will needed to work too, and so they circled the outermost part of the peninsula looking for places to camp. They didn't see any signs of human life, which was good. Will was flying slightly ahead, while Pomona took more time to already look for signs of magical foliage. But when she heard Will shout for her, she sped up.   
  
The bit of beach Will was hovering above didn't look any different from a distance, but when Pomona got closer she saw a narrow inlet. They went down to investigate. The inlet was just wide enough for both of them to fly next to each other, with trees towering high above them as they flew slowly above the water. After just a minute, they reached a sheltered bay. The beach was wrapped around it like a ribbon, sandy at the waterline and with more rocks close to the forest. There would be plenty of space to make camp without having to worry about the tide, and although there weren't any tidal pools Will looked pleased. They cast a Muggle detection spell just to be sure, though Pomona didn't think anybody would be this far into the bush. The map didn't show any roads on this part of the peninsula, so to get there someone would have to have a boat - and in that case they would have seen them, since they'd flown by the coastline for so long. When Pomona gave the all-clear, Will started to unpack the tent while Pomona put up the barrier charms around their campground. She made sure to extend them to the water's edge and in a wide circle around the tent, but left the far part of the bay clear so they might see some animals there. After all, they did want to see wildlife - just not right beside their tent.    
  
That evening, they relaxed in on the couch with the tent flaps open so they could see the bay. For real sunsets they would have to go to the beach, since most of the horizon was blocked by trees, but it was still wonderful to watch the colors change and see how the forest reacted to the twilight. The birds slowly grew quiet, and as it became darker and darker the stars started to get out. Pomona was thankful for the barrier charms, otherwise they would surely have a lot of mosquitos attracted to their lights. She watched a bird swimming in the bay. 

"What are you thinking about?" Will asked. Pomona was shaken from her thoughts. 

"Nothing in particular." Then, after a short silence. "Just how peaceful it is here, and that I can't wait to start exploring but am happy to sit here at the same time." 

Will nodded. "Yeah, me too." 

They sat in silence for a while, neither of them wanting to disturb the peaceful and relaxed atmosphere. After a while, Pomona got up to make them some hot chocolate.   
  
When she returned to the couch with two steaming mugs of chocolaty goodness, Will smiled at her. "I just love how homely you are. Is this what evenings in the Hufflepuff common room are like?" Pomona sat down, handing her one of the mugs. 

"We would have marshmallows in the common room, but apart from that, pretty much." A wave of nostalgia washed over her. "Man, I miss it. The lazy evenings by the fire were the best, when people would play games and tell stories instead of going to bed, staying up way too late." She smiled at Will. "The Fat Friar has the best stories." 

Will looked a bit pained. “Sometimes I'm jealous of you, you know. I never had that growing up, I'm not sure if we even did stuff like that in the Gryffindor common room. Sometimes I would join people by the fire, but it always felt like I was intruding. They never said anything mean, but it made me really uncomfortable. I just didn't fit in. Castelobruxo was a little better though.” 

“It does help to have more similar interests.” 

“It does, and Castelobruxo is so diverse that everybody had something that made them different. It was easier to talk to people there, but I still didn’t really feel like I belonged.” 

Even though she always said she didn’t mind, Pomona thought Will looked a little sad. Will looked at her mug for a while. Then she said, softly: 

“That’s why I’m so glad I’ve found you. You never make me feel like I’m weird, or the odd one out. Talking to you is so easy it’s almost scary.” She looked up, and smiled at Pomona. Pomona felt a wave of affection for her, and smiled back. 

“I’m very glad we met, too.” she said.   
  
Without really talking about it, Will had put up her hammock inside the tent again. So now they did even more together than in Arizona, and Pomona loved it. Her tent was too big for one person anyway, although her plants were taking up more space than all their other belongings put together. But when she woke up in the morning, she opened her eyes and saw Will there, or an empty hammock if Will had already gotten up. They would drink their tea together, and teased each other about being sleepy. After breakfast, they went outside. In Arizona they had still mostly done their own thing, but now that they had to start exploring all over again they liked to stick together.    
On the first day they went into the forest right behind their camp, and Pomona didn't know where to look first. She thought she would be prepared for it by reading about the temperate rainforests of the North-West, but this was beyond her wildest dreams. The forest was just as green as the other rainforest she had visited, with mosses, plants and epiphytes everywhere. The ground was so filled with plants that they had trouble walking around, and returned to the tent after only half an hour to get their broomsticks. When they could fly they made quicker progress, but it was still a battle to move forward in the forest. To Will's dismay Pomona also got distracted really easily, so Will would fly ahead while Pomona watched and sketched all the plants around her. That first day, she totally forgot to look for magical plants, the 'normal' ones were magical enough. From the majestic Redwood Cedars to orchids that grew as tall as her hips and tiny ferns high in the trees, and everything absolutely covered with long strands of mosses and lichens that hung on to every surface and branch they could find.   
  
The second day brought them their first magical plants and animal, to Will's delight. Along with all the squirrels and chipmunks that were curiously following them around, they spotted a small furry creature running that looked just slightly different. Will immediately went after it, well-trained in distinguishing the ordinary from the magical. While she searched for it a shimmer in the green mass below caught Pomona's attention, and she flew coser to investigate. It was a different fern than all the ones she'd seen before, with a metallic blue sheen on it's leaves if she viewed them from the right angle. Its leaves were branched like a fan, so that each leaflet looked like a finger on a hand. The tiny final leaflets gave it a kind of cute look, waving slightly in a non-existent breeze. With each little wave, the blue sheen appeared and disappeared as she saw the leaves from a different angle, almost forming patterns of spots. As she watched, a small black bird came close and followed the moving leaves, carefully making its way closer and closer until it dove under them. When she looked very carefully Pomona saw that it had its nest there, but the shimmering moving leaves were hiding it and distracting from it very effectively.    
  
She got out her sketchbook, and had almost finished her little sketches of details when Will appeared out of nowhere before her. Pomona quickly put a finger in front of her mouth, indicating that Will should proceed with caution. When she carefully landed besides Pomona, Pomona pointed at the little bird underneath the fern. 

"Do you think that has some special characteristics too, or has it just found the perfect nesting place?" she whispered. Will moved her head as close to the fern as she could without touching it, staring under its leaves. 

"It might have." she replied softly. "See how it's almost invisible now? That's not just the lighting or the plant, the little bird is hiding from us. I hope we're not stressing it out too much. Maybe we should move back if you're done here." 

Pomona nodded. "Just wait a second, I want to try a new spell I found somewhere." She got her wand out of her sleeve, and whispered "Designate". The map she'd folded into her sketchbook glowed up once, and a new mark appeared on it. "It knows where I've made which notes, marking them on the map so I can easily find it back in the forest." she explained. "Or track movement of things if I want, but this little fella looks like he'll stay put." 

"Yeah, unlike that cactus of yours. I swear, one day it will learn how to climb on the couch and we will very much regret your choice to take him with you." Pomona giggled. 

"I wonder if I can train him, because that would probably be a good idea. Otherwise I’ll have to pad him with something, and hope for the best.” Her mind was already filling up with behavioral experiments to try on the little fellow, who she'd started to call Bruce.   
  
In the following week they fell into a new routine, and although Pomona knew she spent in a lot of hours in the the forest it didn't feel like work. She and Will would usually work on their own thing but within sight or hearing of each other, and they regularly came together to chat or see what the other was doing. After the day’s work was done they would sit inside the tent working on articles and descriptions while drinking liters of tea, and chat deep into the night with their papers forgotten.    
  
One evening they went to the beach to watch the sunset over the water. Pomona had brought the blankets they had used in Arizona, and they snuggled close together in the sand as they watched the sky change colors and the stars come out. She didn't quite know how or when it had happened, but they were physically closer than ever before. At some point they had moved from polite distance to hugs and cuddling on the couch, and while she liked it it also gave her a slight tingle in her stomach every time it happened. At home she might have pushed it away, but here it was hard to rationalize that. For the first time in her life, she knew someone who was also gay, single, and definitely attractive. Was it really so weird to be interested in her?   
  
Pomona had wanted to say something that evening, but in the end her nerves got the better of her and the conversation remained in safe waters. But was she imagining it, or was Will looking a little too long at her too? She didn’t trust her own feelings, didn’t want to read into it too much. Just because Will was interested in women didn’t mean she was interested in her. But this wasn’t just anybody, this was Will. Who had similar passions as her, who understood the thrill of exploring and the rut of sitting in a hide-out for hours at a time. Who pulled her out of her books and forced her to take a break, but also knew when to leave her alone. She was falling hard, and she knew it. Tomorrow, she decided. I’ll say something tomorrow.   
  
The next day, Pomona woke to the smell of freshly baked bread and the bubbling of boiling water in the kitchen. Will was already up, sitting at the table and tapping her fingers as she read one of her new books. She looked up when Pomona walked in, still in her pyjamas. 

“Goodmorning! What do you say about a nice day off?” Pomona blinked. 

“Huh, what?” Will shoved a mug of coffee her way, but she refused it and sat down. 

“A day off.” Will said, while she went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea for Pomona. “You’ve been working hard, I’ve been working hard, and the weather is great.” She looked at Pomona as if she was silly for not understanding this basic logic. 

Pomona cracked her neck, until she felt awake enough to be sure she understood correctly. “Sure, why not?” she answered.   
  
The picnic had been Wills best idea so far, Pomona decided halfway through the day. They had flown for two hours, pointing each other to tiny islands or funny rocks and chasing the waves. It was a beautiful sunny day, only their second without any mist. They could see farther than they ever had before as they flew North, and Pomona felt free as a bird. They didn't have to worry about the direction they went in, as Will's map skills would point them straight back to their camp if they wanted to return. When the wind grew stronger they flew towards the coast again, to a sheltered cove. It had a wider mouth than the bay where their tent was, so they could still see the sea while not being bothered by the wind as much. An eagle soared past them, and Will shrieked with joy as she tried to overtake it.    
  
When they were just a hundred meters away from the cove they started to go down, landing almost gracefully in the stiff sand. Pomona saw her own happiness mirrored in Will's face, as she shook out her hair and grinned at her. 

"Thank you, that was just what I needed." she said. Will smiled. 

“You always keep going, weekends exist for a reason you know.” 

Pomona smiled self consciously. “I usually plan those full as well, and I’ve been having so much fun that it doesn’t really feel like I’m working at all. But you are right, some time off is nice too.” 

They sat down on one of the large rocks, and Will produced a bottle of hot tea from her bag. Pomona watched the steam curling in the air, and snuggled a little closer to Will.    
  
“Actually, there was another reason I wanted to get you out here today.” Will said. She sat up straight, moving away from Pomona a little so she could look at her. “These last few weeks… I know we’ve gotten really close, and it feels like I’ve known you for ages.” Pomona nodded, not wanting to interrupt what Will was trying to say. “And with all the cuddling, and the flirting - I love it, but I wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Because I really like you Pomona, and well,” she looked Pomona in the eyes, “if you feel the same it would be silly to just skirt around it, and if you don’t it didn’t really feel fair to keep our friendship that physical without you knowing what it means to me.” 

Pomona got a light feeling in her chest, and smiled widely. “I’d been wanting to say something too.” she said. “But I couldn’t find the right moment, or rather I was too nervous… Figures that the Gryffindor beat me to it.” They giggled, and Will grabbed her hand. “So, can I kiss you?”    
  
Pomona didn't answer, but instead she leaned forwards and planted her lips on Wills. They were a little dry from all the time spent outside, but as soon as Will kissed back she forgot all about that. At first she was careful, hesitant. She had never done this before, and none of the talk of her friends had been able to prepare her for what it was actually like. But when Will stroked her hair she stopped thinking, and deepened the kiss.    
  
They stayed on the beach for a few hours, sometimes kissing, sometimes just talking, Pomona with her head rested on Wills shoulder. She felt light and happy, like she could shout her newfound love from the rooftops. When they were stiff from sitting down so long, they got up and walked along the waterline, holding hands with their brooms in their other hand. It was getting late, but Wills picnic had filled them sufficiently to stay on the beach until far after their usual dinner time. It was low tide again, and they climbed over the rocks to look at the starfish and anemones below. The sun was sinking low, and they kissed again in the orange, pink and purple hues of sunset until Will started shivering and they finally went back to the tent.   



	9. Flying with a dash of adrenaline

Dragon's Fern ( _Blechnum draconis_ ) is the big brother of the Deer Fern ( _Blechnum spicant_ ). These ferns have two different types of leaves. The fertile leaves are thinner and standing upright, and the sterile leaves are broader and hanging over. Deer fern is widespread in places with a mild temperate climate, but the Dragon's Fern is limited to the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. Both ferns look almost identical, except for the gigantic difference in size: Dragon's Fern can grow up to 3 meters tall, so a smaller human can stand upright under the sterile leaves and the fertile leaves will tower over them. Despite the name the Dragon's Fern is not associated with dragons, since there are none native to the region. Dragon's Fern prefers desolate valleys in the rainforest, where it can grow unwatched. It's properties as a potion ingredient haven't been researched yet, but since the genus name of _Blechnum_ means 'without use' it probably isn't a powerful magical plant.  
\- excerpt from _Magical Ferns and Fern Allies_ by Lycopoda o'Harren

* * *

  
That night, Will did not sleep in her hammock. When Pomona woke up, it took her awhile to remember why Will was currently sleeping next to her, cuddled up in the blankets. She looked at her watch, and decided it was late enough to get up. She pressed a kiss on Wills forehead, but the other witch just turned over and continued to sleep. Pomona got out of bed silently, putting on some slippers and a cardigan against the morning cold. Yesterday Will had made her a nice breakfast, so today she would return the favor.    
It seemed like everything had changed, and yet nothing had. And so they went further and further into the rainforest together, following the gigantic leaves of the Skunk Cabbage and the screaming of the squirrels until everything they could see around them was green. From the treetops high above them, to bark completely overgrown by mosses and algae, and the forest floor that was so full of life the earth itself was almost invisible. The only thing that stood out were the different shapes of the plants, the sounds of the birds and other animals and the brown and dark blue of their own clothes.    
  
Pomona's research was going well. When they just arrived here she had let herself be carried away by all the fun exploring with Will, but now she focussed on the goal of the trip again. The weather was completely different than it had been in Arizona, but if she was honest with herself she liked this better. It reminded her of home, in the drizzly highlands around Hogwarts. The showers here were less predictable than they had been in Arizona, where you could see them coming far before they reached their valley, or in Borneo, where they just happened like clockwork. Here every morning was a surprise. In their first week the weather had been good, as if the land was trying to entice them. Now the mornings were accompanied by fog more often than not, and drizzle was just a regular part of their day. Even if it wasn't raining at that moment, the forest would still drip for hours after rain, so the end result for them was pretty much the same. But it wasn't raining hard. It was the kind of rain where you cast and Impervius on everything you cared about and just kept going, so that was exactly what Pomona did. If anything, it made the evenings in the warm and cozy tent more worthwhile.   
  
There were mosses that slowly glided over the tree trunks, and would flutter down with too much grace until they were in front of her face, hovering so long that she could draw them before they reached the ground. There were gigantic trees, the Pacific Redwoods that the No-Majs didn't suspect but the First Nations had known to have special powers since far before the Europeans came. There were even more ferns here than she had seen in the rainforest in Borneo, growing everywhere from tiny Liquorice Ferns in the tree tops to gigantic Sword Ferns and Lady Ferns that she knew from home but grew bigger than she'd ever seen them before in this optimal environment. As she went deeper into the forest she stumbled upon places that were inaccessible by foot even for bigger animals, with an entirely different ecosystem as a result. The plants ruled here, unhindered by herbivores. As she flew it was hard to see quite how tall the undergrowth was, with ferns that were big enough for her to stand under. She decided to come back later, there were enough other things to do and Will would like to see this too.   
  
Will was having less luck. Where the plants flourished in all the water, the animals seemed to have the tactic of hiding and waiting for better weather. Will went out at the same time every morning as Pomona, but when Pomona returned with a lot of notes and drawings in the evening Will's sketchbook remained almost empty. She went farther and farther from their camp, searching the forest and the ocean alike. Pomona knew she was getting frustrated, although she didn’t say so. When they were cuddled together on the couch in the evening, hot chocolate on the table beside them, she brought up the idea of leaving. 

“We can go somewhere dry, you know. I feel guilty that there’s so little to see for you here.” 

Will shook her head. “I know there’s something I’m missing, can’t you feel the magic when you’re deep in the forest? It might be a little harder to find because of the rain, but it can’t hide away forever.” 

Now that Will mentioned it, Pomona had felt the residue of magic in the air, so subtle that she didn’t even realise what it was back then. “Actually, I stumbled across a grove yesterday that might be interesting for you. We can go there tomorrow, if you want.” Will smiled. 

“An adventure together? Even if we don’t find anything, it will be worth it.”   
  
The grove was situated in a valley, with sides that were either too steep to climb or entirely overgrown by bushes, trees and ferns. It was hard to see far ahead, as there was always a tree or bush blocking the way. Pomona and Will were staying close together, slowly moving around. Pomona felt like they were being watched, like the trees had suddenly grown eyes. A few times she thought she saw something move in the corners of her eyes, but as she looked around all she saw were slowly waving branches that looked three times as big as they actually were because of all the mosses and lichens growing on them. 

Will was looking around a lot too, until she stopped. As Pomona pulled alongside her, Will said "Do you feel that too?" 

Now Pomona grew really uneasy. So it hadn't just been her imagination. She nodded, turning around to look over her back. "What do you think it is?" she asked. 

"There has to be something here, something sentient. Did your books mention anything like this?" 

Pomona frowned, thinking hard. Her books had mentioned plenty of things, but nothing came to mind that would explain what was watching them. "A lot of the stories talk about the spirits of the Red Cedars, but we've been around them for weeks and it's never been like this..." she said hesitantly. 

Will shook her head. "You're the herbologist, but that doesn't sound right to me either." 

Pomona spun her wand around, and it pointed right behind them.   
  
They quickly turned around. Wills mouth formed a perfect 'o' of comprehension. 

"I think I know what it could be." Her face was tense with concentration. "You said you've been here yesterday too?" Pomona nodded, still not knowing what Will was going on about. "Well, damn. Normally I would say get the hell out of here, but if it knows we're here I don't think that'll be the best idea." 

"What knows we're here?" asked Pomona a bit louder than she had meant. Her heart started thumping in her chest and she held on to her broom tightly, getting ready to fly away quickly if the need arose. Will pointed to a tree about twenty meters away. Sitting slightly higher than them was a creature unlike Pomona had ever seen before. It was dark brown and covered in strands of moss, giving it the perfect camouflage if it had sat closer to the trunk of the tree. It was cat-like, about the size of a mountain lion, but with large feathered wings that stretched out to the sides. On its face it bore an almost human grin, and it was looking straight at them. Pomona stiffened, her breath stopping in her throat.   
  
They looked at the Hamaliva, and it looked back at them. None of them were moving, and it seemed as though time stood still. Then it crouched as if it was going to jump, and Pomona moved back a little without thinking about it. Will grabbed her arm to hold her in place. 

"Keep calm" she whispered from the corner of her mouth. She seemed torn between self-preservation and fascination as she kept staring at the beast before them. "Okay, move back slowly now. We don't want it to start a hunt, maybe it's just curious. If it really wanted us dead we wouldn't be here right now." 

If that was supposed to be reassuring it didn't work, and Pomona was more than happy to follow the order. She started to fly backwards slowly, still keeping a close eye on the Hamaliva. It had skewed its head and looked at them without blinking, as if it was trying to decide what they were. Pomona had to concentrate hard on her navigation now, she had never flown backwards with so many obstacles before. As the Hamaliva grew smaller and smaller in the distance they dared to breathe a bit more deeply again, but Pomona's heart was still thumping in her chest. The Hamaliva didn’t move, and when they rounded a final tree and it was out of sight Pomona and Will turned around without deliberation and sped away. They shot up as quickly as they could, ascending until they were flying above the forest. They didn't stop until they saw the sea, and made a wide curve to fly above the beach. Then they slowed down to a conversational speed, panting and with the adrenaline still flowing.    
  
"It was following us." Pomona said. It wasn't a question. Will nodded, with a wild look in her eyes. 

"That was so close, I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier. But it's not supposed to live this far North, I thought they only lived in the forests in Colombia." 

"What exactly was it?" 

"A Hamaliva, or something like it native to this region. I can't believe nobody has written about something like that living here, they must be extremely well hidden or Magizoologists would be all over that. Not to mention the Canadian Ministry, they would have to have precautions to keep Muggles away." Will looked exactly the way she had after they saw the Thunderbird in Arizona, excited and amazed. Pomona had an inkling about what that meant. 

"Don't tell me you want to go back. Nope, nope, nope. Bad idea!" 

"But Pomona, this is what I've been looking for here all this time! Something exciting, something new and unknown." 

"Something that wants to bite your head off?" 

Will at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. "Now that I know it's there I can be much more cautious." she argued. "I mean, I've worked with dragons! Hamaliva's aren't that much more dangerous, and way cooler." 

Pomona sighed. "I'm starting to get how Professor Kettleburn keeps losing all his limbs. Please be careful, okay?" The words 'I love you' were unsaid, but she thought Will knew what she meant. Then she smiled at Will, and blew her a kiss. "I'm happy you found something exciting though, really."   
  
Over the next two weeks they each did their research with refound enthusiasm. The Hamaliva didn't seem to mind wet weather, and so Will didn't either. Pomona was less confident in the forest now that she knew what was out there, and hadn't visited the grove again. But there was enough to see without going that far into the forest, since the rainforest went right up to the beach. So she stayed far away from the Hamaliva, although she did enjoy Wills stories. In the evenings they cooked together, and ate while telling each other about their days. They tried to get some work done after that, but usually they ended up kissing on the couch. After the first night together, they had Stretched Pomona's bed, so it now fit the both of them comfortably, but they hadn't gone much further than kissing just yet. It was all new for Pomona, and she knew Will didn't have much experience either. For now they just enjoyed what they had, and it was enough to keep Pomona very happy indeed.   
  
Sometimes she wondered if she was getting enough done, but when she entered and saw Will with all her books at the table, and saw her little garden of vegetables doing great, and the little Jumping Cactus hopping around while Will kept shooting it annoyed-but-secretly-amused glances, she forgot about all her worries. What was the harm in having fun, as long as all her work was still going strong too? She had seen, described and collected plants she'd never seen before, some of which she didn't think were known to the Western world. She had collected enough data to write at least three articles. But most of all, she had found someone to travel with. She was doing great.

Will looked up at her while she just stood smiling in the doorway, and laughed. "What are you thinking about?" she teased Pomona. Pomona said the first thing that came to her mind: 

"Perfection." Will smiled. 

"That's a heavy thought for a rainy afternoon." 

Pomona shrugged. She hadn't even noticed the rain, weeks spent in a rainforest had that effect on her. "Don't you just want all of this to last?" she asked. 

Will nodded, and waved for her to come inside. "But don't keep standing there, my perfect afternoon involves you a little closer."   
  
It was a full two weeks later before they started to talk about moving again. Will had finished her paper about the Hamaliva, and while Pomona still went out into the forest every day she had to admit she wasn't finding many new things. But while they'd mentioned wrapping up their studies here, they hadn't actually made any new plans yet. So when Pomona came back from an unusually sunny but kind of boring day in the field she brought up the topic again. She had been thinking about going to the Northern Territories herself, or maybe Alaska. Or even the Rocky Mountains, which would be a relatively short and easy trip even if they wanted to go further North than they currently were to avoid the tourist traps. Nothing too drastic or far away, but a change of scenery and ecosystems. 

"What do you think?" she asked Will. Will thought about it for a while, leafing through her papers that were spread out on the kitchen table. 

"The Rockies sound really cool, it's been a long time since I've been in the mountains." 

Pomona squeaked, and got her maps out. "I was hoping you would say that." she said, kissing Will before opening the map of Canada to the right section.    
  



	10. Home is people

The Purple Paintbrush ( _Castilleja praecantatium_ ) is a perennial that can be found on subalpine and alpine elevations in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, mostly South of Williams Lake. It grows in meadows and on rocky slopes, and can be distinguished from non-magical relatives by its color. The colors, which are not the flowers themselves but rather modified leaves, are red or yellow to white in other species, but a bright cool purple in _C. praecantatium_. All Paintbrushes are hemiparasites, meaning they get part of their nutrients from their host but also photosynthesize. The points where the roots of the Purple Paintbrush connect to the roots of the host can be used as an ingredient in strong venoms, but they need to be extricated from the grass roots with care, since any remaining grass root will reduce the potency drastically. The flowers and bracts are used in a transfiguration potion by the First Nations living in its distribution area, allowing the drinker to change their appearance much like a Metamorphmagus would be able to. Some drinkers experience a side effect of strong nostalgia and/or melancholy, which can be avoided by adding powdered daisy roots to the brew right before it's done.  
\- Excerpt from _Magickal Perennials_ by Primus Pocio

* * *

  
Even after their planning session, it took a while to get going again. They decided to visit the Portkey Office again to see if they had any letters and ask for advice on Wizarding settlements in the area, and then apparate or fly up North in small increments. It would be fun to see the landscape change around them, moving every few days until they found a place they wanted to stay. They left early one morning, and around noon they saw the mountains loom in front of them. Pomona blinked in the bright sunlight, and took a big breath of fresh air. She felt the familiar excitement bubble up in her stomach, and couldn’t wait to land and look around.   
  
They had a lot of fun exploring the mountains together. There were hot springs with a climate that almost looked exotic compared to the valleys of freezing cold water, and mountain tops with bare rock and a few hardy plants that managed to survive. They spent hours in meadows full of flowers, and tracked the footprints of large animals in the forests. It was a joy to leave the seamist behind, although the first sunny day taught them both to be more careful with the application of Cloudweaver Potion to prevent sunburns. There were some small wizarding settlements or communities along the way, but usually they camped in forests or meadows without a living soul in sight. On warm days they swam in mountain lakes, screaming as they first entered the ice-cold water, and on colder cloudy days they took their tea with them and stayed in the valleys below. Being together was so easy that Pomona was shocked when she realized it had only been one month.   
  
They pitched the tent on the banks of a lake, and when Pomona came back from her fieldwork one day she found a moose and her calf casually grazing in the marshy area just meters away from the tent. She looked around, wishing Will was close enough to get her attention without disturbing the animals. When she couldn't find her, Pomona got out her wand and carefully approached the tent from the other side. Once she knew she was safely within the barrier charms, she ran inside and got her camera out. It might not be a magical plant, or even the most impressive animals she had seen on her journey, but seeing the moose from up close was amazing. 

The animals looked up to the side and Pomona could see Will walking towards the tent. She took the same roundabout way Pomona had done, and the moose seemed to decide she wasn't a thread. Once she was inside the barrier, she called out to Pomona. "Merlin's beard, have they been here for long?" She scrambled to get her notebook out of her bag. Pomona giggled. "I'm not sure, I've only been back for maybe ten minutes. But now we know our barrier charms work well, they don't seem to notice us at all." Will only had eyes for the moose, and nodded distractedly. "That last spell to prevent smells from going through really did the trick, I think I'm going to set up a few hideouts with that. If I apparate in, they won't be able to tell I'm there at all."   
  
Will kept her word, and set up a network of hideouts in the area. Pomona didn't mind staying for a while at all, and started a more thorough study on the interactions of the magical and non-magical plants that were living peacefully together in the sparse forest right below the tree line. The summer seemed to last forever, days and weeks spent outside and working on their notes together on the rare rainy days. The plants inside Pomona's tent flourished as well, and she spent some more time looking after them. They were eating fresh vegetables from her vegetable patch, and while she fertilized the flowers of her apple tree she happily noted her Golden Tread moved out of the way for her. She was whistling while she repotted some ferns, when Will entered the tent. She threw off her cloak and kissed Pomona, until she sniffed. 

"What is that? Oh, for the love of God Pomona, don't put dragon dung on the table. We eat there!" 

Pomona looked down, seeing the mess she had created with fresh eyes. "It's just fertilizer, I'll clean it off. But I'm sorry, if it bothers you I can keep any animal waste products to the greenhouse the next time. I'm just used to doing it on here." 

Will smiled. "I'd appreciate it. Sorry, I didn't mean to go off on you, I just really hate that smell." 

"Why?" Pomona asked curiously. Will rolled her eyes. 

"Two words: dragon reserve." She laughed as comprehension dawned on Pomona's face. "Most of them just fended for themselves, but we also had some stables for old or sick dragons, and some orphaned babies from all over the world. Mucking them out was always the job for the least popular team member, so take a guess who that was." 

"Now I'm even more sorry." Pomona said. Will shrugged. 

"It also meant I could sneak in extra time with the youngsters, so it wasn't that bad. The stench, however, would be nice to forget." 

"Duly noted." grinned Pomona.   
  
As they moved North and the summer came to an end, it got colder and colder. They raged an everlasting battle with the mosquitos on the plains in Yukon, but when they reached the permafrost they agreed to stay one more week and then travel South again. The nights were cold here, and while the plants were interesting they didn't outweigh the troubles Pomona had to go through in order to get to them. On the last day she decided to just stay inside and planned the journey they wanted to make the next day. It would take some time to get back to civilization, but after that it should be easy enough to take a Portkey back to Edmonton and travel further South to explore the prairies. Pomona had had her doubts about this strategy at first, but after a few weeks she had easily adapted to Wills way of travelling. After all, packing up the tent was not that much work, and it was fun to see so much more of the area. She did want to find a nice location and stay there for a few weeks again, but she knew Will would be more than happy with that compromise.   
  
The prairies were beautiful, but as autumn hit they travelled farther and farther South to find plants that were still alive. Pomona collected seeds and nuts of many different plants, magical or Muggle, and laughed with Will about all the animals trying to eat as much as possible before winter. They got wind of rains in Arizona, and got there just in time to see the full desert bloom. It was one of the rare moments when Will looked at the plants around them with Pomona instead of doing her own thing, and they both smiled at the memories of their life in the desert just a few short months ago. Sometimes they went to towns for food, the post office and the occasional Portkey, but they mostly lived on their own, out in nature. It was everything Pomona had hoped travelling would be, and yet nothing like it. Her discoveries and research had let to some very excited letters home, but having someone right here with her to share it with was like an unexpected gift. Sure, sometimes they annoyed each other to great ends, but that always ended with one of them leaving for a few hours, cooling off, apologizing and sweet kisses or sex in their cosy home. Pomona knew Will sometimes envied her ability to take parts of her research with her, filling the tent with plants, but some animal bones, drawings and paraphernalia were finding their way onto their shelves and walls as well. They joked about expanding the charms on the tent, but neither of them dared to mess with it.   
  
When the desert flowers withered and set seeds, Will brought up the next leg of their trip. "I know you're not quite done here, and I'm not in any hurry, but I'd been thinking..." 

Pomona looked up from her microscope. Will had been to the shops in Phoenix that day, and they had both enjoyed the fresh food and letters from home. It didn't surprise her that the other witch was thinking about moving on, Will always got bored with a location quicker than her. She smiled. 

"Where did you want to go?" she asked. 

"Well... I've been thinking about how I really need a proper library to do some more research and finish my articles, and half of your work is in here anyway since you've started those experiments." They both looked at the other room, where neat rows of pots with different types of soil and fertilizer formed Pomona's experiment on the effects of Muskhog dung. They had collected some more of it, and the recent surge in seeds had really convinced Pomona to just go for it now instead of waiting until she got home. 

"You want to go home?" she asked. That wasn't quite what she had in mind... Will grinned. 

"In a way, but not how you think. How would you feel about going to Castelobruxo?"   
  
"Wait, what?" 

"I really want to use the library and other resources there, and I think your research deserves it too. Think of what you could do with a few months of working on what you have right now, instead of constantly moving from topic to topic and discovering new things." She blushed a little. "And well, I would like to see some people there again, but that's just an added bonus." 

Pomona was still trying to comprehend the turn of events. "We can just do that?" she asked. "Go there, I mean?" Will shrugged. 

"Technically you need an invitation I think, but that shouldn't be hard to get. And that's mostly for people who don't know where it is already, although arranging a Portkey would probably be easier than trying to find the castle. And if we get bored there's always the Amazon rainforest..." She winked at Pomona. "I know you're not good at sitting still." Pomona laughed, and stood up to embrace Will. 

"Yeah, why not?" she muttered, while stroking Wills hair and kissing her neck. Then a thought hit her, and she was momentarily distracted. 

"What's up?" Will asked. Pomona stalled, trying to find the right words.    
  
"What will we do with - us?" She led Will to the couch, and they sat down. Will bit her lip. 

"You mean, our relationship?" Pomona nodded. 

"I don't want to hide anything, but I don't know what would be wise, you know? Going there, it’s different than just a random village we’ll probably never visit again." 

Will put a hand on her leg. "Yeah, I know. Of course I do." 

They sat in silence for a little while, both lost in their own thoughts. 

"I do want to tell some people." Will finally said. "If it's okay with you of course, but I really do. I don't want to hide you away from the few people I care about. But apart from that..." She gave Pomona a wry smile. "It would probably make our lives easier if we're not too obvious, but I don't think I have the energy to work really hard at hiding it." 

"Yeah, me neither. I happen to think you're rather marvellous, and I would hate to have to hide that from the world." That worked to lighten the mood, and they burst into giggles. "No, but seriously," Pomona said. "I don't think I'm ready to kiss in front of other people, or walk in holding hands, but if we're just ourselves and people connect the dots I'm not too bothered. Of course that's easy for me to say though, you're the one that actually knows these people." 

Will shrugged. "Leanodro will be happy for us, and I don't care about the rest."   
  
It was still a lot of hard work to prepare their journey to Brazil, though. Pomona collected more seeds and finished her description of the other herd of Jumping Cacti they had managed to track down, and Will went to the post office every few days trying to organize their travel arrangements. Even for an alumnus, Castelobruxo was careful about who they let in, and it took several letters back and forth before everything was set. Then there was laundry to do and hideouts to clear, taking the time to erase all traces of their presence before they finally packed their day bags, collapsed the tent and got ready to apparate to Albuquerque. They were both used to taking long-distance Portkeys, and smiled when they saw a family stressing about the check-in. They arrived in Manaus without any trouble, and Pomona saw Will smile when she told the Portuguese-speaking Ministry official they were here for a layover to Castelobruxo. Wills giddiness got her exited too, and she couldn't wait to see it.    



	11. Glass walls and biomass

Something most pupils don't realize, is the role our schools play in preserving the history and knowledge of the wizarding world. The Muggles have something called museums, large buildings where artefacts are kept. On a similar note, they have collections of living plants and animals, that are open to the public. Despite some attempts (like that of 'Mad' Michael Ballings, who opened his collection of broomsticks and Quidditch parafernalia open to the public in his shed, which he called the Ballings Museum of Quidditch. Presumably he wanted to keep his Halfblood wife off his back, who was always nagging him about the 'mess of old stuff' around the house. After a year he had had only three visitors, one of whom was his mother), Museums never got a big following in the Wizarding World. Instead, many of our greatest treasures are kept by our governments and schools. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry houses the biggest magical painting collection of Europe, with many historically notable pieces. Each school has their own specialty, and each department their own treasured items. In some cases, the size of the collections can almost outgrow the size of the school, like in the case of Castelobruxo (Brazil). Their greenhouse complexes and menagerie are extremely large, extending far into the surrounding forest. Part of the goal behind this is obviously teaching, but large parts are prohibited for students and are solely the domain of teachers and independent researchers, who have set up a large breeding program.   
\- Excerpt from _A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot  


* * *

  
Pomona felt the familiar tug of Portkey travel, and when she opened her eyes again she was in a large square office. There were small windows in the walls, but the first things that got her attention were the dark gold-colored stone walls and the large desk with an old witch in dark robes behind it. She looked stern, and merely nodded in acknowledgement of their presence. 

"Good afternoon, Professor Dourado." Will said politely. 

"Good afternoon, miss Plank." said the witch. "And welcome, miss..." 

"Sprout." said Pomona. "Pleased to meet you." 

She wouldn't admit it, but Professor Dourado looked quite scary. She wouldn't want to be a misbehaved student at this school. 

"Ah, yes. I hope you will have a good time here. I had rooms prepared for both of you in our guest quarters, Miss Plank will know her way around. If you need anything else, please let us know." She looked back at her parchment, and they took that as a sign to leave the office. Will led Pomona out of the office, and into the hallway.    
  
The hallway was narrow, and almost immediately turned into a staircase that led them down. 

"The Headmistress' Office is all the way at the top of the castle." Will explained. "We'll go down a couple of floors, and then we can enter onto a terrace and I can show you the grounds from above." 

They walked down the deserted stairs, that were spiralling in an ever larger square. Then Will took a turn, and pointed to an opening ahead. 

"No doors, just barrier charms. I should have picked those up before I met you, clearly." She brushed her arm against Pomona's. "Anyway, let's go out!" 

They stepped through the opening in the wall, and Pomona was overwhelmed with the noise and humid heat of the jungle. The castle had by no means been dark, but out here the light was so bright that it took her awhile to adjust her eyes. She blinked, and looked around.    
  
The sun shone on the stone of the school, making it glitter like gold. Now that she was outside, Pomona could see it was built like an ancient Mayan temple: a pyramid with large stairs going all the way up the exterior of the building. It was a lot larger than any other temples she had seen in pictures though, and the floors were interspaced with wide terraces like the one they were standing on right now. They were slightly above the treetops, and she could see lots of smaller buildings scattered in the forest, and the hoops of a Quidditch field to the side. There were still no students to be seen, but at eleven o'clock that wasn't very surprising. Will looked fondly at the scene around them. 

"I won't lie, I've missed this." she said softly. It was a big admission, and Pomona gave her a quick kiss. 

"I know. And I can't wait for you to show me around."   
  
They went back inside, and descended another pair of stairs. Castelobruxo seemed a lot more regular than Hogwarts, with each floor a slightly larger version of the one above. The upper floors were the dorms and the quarters for teachers, guests and some staff, and then came the classrooms. The third floor was completely taken up by a gigantic library, and it took Will a lot of convincing to get Pomona away from it. 

"Come on, we'll have plenty of time for that! I thought you wanted to see the menagerie, and the greenhouses." Pomona grinned guiltily, and let herself be led away. The second floor housed the dining hall and common rooms, and here they went outside again. "This is the main entrance," Will said, "although there are eight doorways that get a lot of use, one at ground level and above the trees on each side of the building. But this one leads to the Pátio das estralas, the main courtyard."    
  
They walked down the stairs, and crossed the courtyard. Will knew the way by heart, paying more attention to Pomona than to their route and still leading them straight to a low building with a statue of a cat in front of it. 

"Tada! The Magizoology Department." Will said, holding the door open for Pomona. 

They went inside, finding a small dining hall that was almost empty. A wizard in the corner looked up when they entered, nodded and went back to his giant stack of parchment. 

"So this is the main building, the common room so to speak. But I'll take you to the actually cool part now." 

"Wait, is all of this part of the school?" Pomona asked. "It's gigantic!" 

Will shrugged. "Well, not all of it is used for classes. This is mostly a research institute, students enter the classrooms in this building through a courtyard. And a lot of the buildings are completely out of bounds, this is one of the largest places for research and breeding of magical creatures and plants, as far as I know."    
  
They skipped the courtyard, instead walking through the dining hall to a corridor on the other end of the building. Pomona could see a group of students in green robes through the windows, sitting behind desks and listening to a teacher. The corridor had windows on both sides as well, and as they walked past Pomona could see some other classrooms, equipped for practical lessons. They were unoccupied though, and they walked past quickly. Will was walking a step in front of Pomona, eager to show her this part of the school. The classrooms ended, but the corridor continued. Now the windows were showing them the grounds, rainforest interspersed with low buildings. They went outside, and almost immediately into another building. As organized as the main castle had looked to Pomona, these buildings formed a maze she thought she would never understand.   
  
When they stepped inside this time, they stood in a small hallway with coat racks on both sides. Will took one of the overcoats, and changed from her shoes into the boots that stood under the coat rack. Pomona did the same. When they were done, Will opened the door in front of them, and Pomona felt her mouth fall open. There were animals everywhere, each contained in a neat pen. All of them were surrounded by low fences, but Pomona suspected there was something more than just the physical fence keeping some of the bigger animals in. Unlike her tent, the building wasn't bigger on the inside, but it looked huge. Each pen had a backdrop that looked like the natural habitat of the animal in it, and only when Pomona looked closely did she see where the pen ended and the illusion started. She looked beside her, at Will who was breathing in the atmosphere and looking around with a big smile on her face. 

"I can spend hours here, just looking at everything..." she said. "I used to help some of the staff look after the animals, just bringing them food and cleaning up and stuff. Not the most fun job, but it was all worth it just to be allowed to come here."   
  
At the far end of the room, there was a little area that was unoccupied by any creatures. Instead, there were workbenches, big barrels of what Pomona assumed was food and various carcasses on hooks. Someone was working with their back turned towards them, cutting the roots of some sort of plants into little pieces. When he heard them approach, he turned around and broke into a smile. 

"Will! You didn't tell me you were coming back!" He put down his knife, and came towards them with open arms. After giving Will a gigantic hug, he looked at Pomona. 

"Leanodro, this is Pomona. Pomona, this is Leanodro, one of my friends here." Will said. Then she blushed a little, and said something to him in rapid Portuguese. His eyes widened, and he looked from Pomona to Will. 

"Meus parabéns! I'm happy for you." Will winked at Pomona, and took her hand. 

"I think I'll show Pomona the greenhouses next, she's a herbologist. But we'll come by to catch up later!" 

He nodded, and went back to his work bench. When they walked away, he waved at them with his knife. "Have fun!"   
  
They exited the Menagerie, and followed the stone path beside it to the greenhouses. Will opened the doors of the first building with a flourish, and let Pomona in. She smiled, and felt immediately at home. It had quite a classic setup, much like the greenhouses at Hogwarts: A glass corridor with smaller greenhouses on both sides. There were signs on each door with what she assumed were the conditions the room was kept in, but they were in Portuguese so she wasn't sure. Each greenhouse was filled with tables with plants, and potted plants were hanging from the walls. Pomona looked around like a kid in a candy shop. 

"Come on, we can come back here later." said Will. "These are just the storage greenhouses, and the classrooms are in a building similar like this at the other side of that courtyard." 

It was hard to look outside through all the plants, but Pomona could see a courtyard. 

"If we walk this way we'll get to the big one, it's a bit like the menagerie but for plants." Will pushed her. After that Pomona sped up, but she still couldn't quite help herself for looking at the plants around her.    
  
At the end of the corridor was another door, and Pomona laughed. 

"I take back everything I said about Castelobruxo being more ordered and clear than Hogwarts. This is crazy!" Will swatted her arm. 

"No insulting my old school! I guess they just kept building new stuff as they ran out of room, it's really old but a lot of the research departments are much newer. I like it, anyway, this way it's more integrated with the forest." 

They were walking through yet another courtyard, and Pomona looked out over all the different buildings. Large trees were growing everywhere in between them, and she had to agree that it looked really nice and organic. They walked past the teaching greenhouses, that looked identical to the complex they'd just walked through. Pomona stretched her neck and saw that some of the classrooms were occupied, filled with students in green robes that were repotting plants or making notes as the teacher lectured. Will almost pulled her along, and when they moved past the classrooms Pomona saw their destination.    
  
The main greenhouse was huge, second in size only to the castle itself. She could see they'd walked in a circle, because the castle rose up in front of them. The complex was beautiful, made from brick but with big windows and a huge glass dome as a roof. Something about it was off though, and suddenly Pomona realized what. 

"This looks really... European." 

"It's not from Castelobruxo exactly, even though it's on the grounds. It houses plants from all over the world, and it's mostly run by the people from -" 

"- the International Herbology Guild." said Pomona, recognizing the statue in front of it. "I knew they had an institute in Brazil, but I never thought it would be at Castelobruxo!" 

"Wouldn't make much sense to have it somewhere else, would it? Let's go inside." 

Pomona stared at the building in amazement. "Can we just do that?" she asked. Will grinned. 

"I may have asked Professor Dourado for permission in a letter before we went..." 

Pomona smiled widely, and hugged her. "I love you!" she said. Will looked a little surprised, but gave her a quick kiss before she let go again. 

"Maybe not here." she muttered. Then, much more cheery, she said: "Come on, the plants are waiting!"   
  
They went inside, and if Pomona had thought the Menagerie was amazing this exceeded her wildest dreams. The building was separated into compartments, and each of them was set up like a specific ecosystem. Full-grown trees stretched towards the glass ceiling, and the gigantic cacti in the desert area made her smile. Wizards and witches in blue robes with the emblem of the International Herbology Guild on them were looking after and studying the plants, and greeted them as they walked past. 

"I've never been here before." said Will, looking around with appreciation. Dirt paths wound around the greenhouse, leading them past all the different compartments. Pomona felt like she was reliving all of her travels in just a few minutes, walking from the rainforest to the desert, and then to the arctic zone that was dominated by reindeer moss and small plants. 

"Look, it's Jewelwood!" she said to Will, pointing at a dwarf shrub with blue bell flowers. "I looked for that in Yukon, but we were just South of its areal."    
  
A wizard in blue robes walked towards them, and smiled when he heard her last words. 

"You're clearly a fellow herbologist. Welcome, what brought you here?" 

He was very polite about it, but it was clear to Pomona he wanted to know what they were doing in the greenhouse. She answered accordingly: "I'm visiting to use the Library to complete the research I did in the field for the last few years. Will here is a Castelobruxo graduate, and is showing me around." 

Will nodded at the man. "Professor Dourado gave us permission to look at the greenhouses and Menagerie." 

"Very well, what's your name?" 

"Pomona Sprout." Pomona answered. 

"Sprout, Sprout, can't say that rings a bell. But then again, you're quite young, aren't you?" She blushed. 

"Five years out of Hogwarts now, sir. But I've waited with most of my publications until I had a chance to thoroughly cross-reference them." 

"Right, very wise. What do you focus on?" 

"I've mostly been travelling around and describing plants, I have a small list of species I'm pretty sure have never been described before. I've done some bigger projects on the effects of deforestation on the dispersion of magical plants in Eastern Europe, Jumping Cactus behaviour in Arizona and carnivorous plants in Borneo. Oh, and some weird orchid pollination syndromes." 

His eyes widened a little. "I'm looking forward to reading about them." he said. "My name is Jonathan Mueller, by the way." 

"Nice to meet you." Pomona said, shaking the hand he held out.    
  
"Well, I should get back to my work. I'll leave you to it, don't hesitate to ask someone if you have any questions. This greenhouse is more like a botanical garden, we have more controlled research greenhouses in the back as well but please don't enter those. You might disturb something, and some of the plants -" he coughed. "Well, let's just say they come with a user manual." 

Pomona laughed. "That sounds painfully familiar, we'll stay out of them. Have a nice day!" 

He made to say something else, but someone called from the next compartment and he walked away with a hurried wave. Will grinned. 

"Do you want to look around some more?" she asked. Pomona looked at the back of the greenhouse longingly, but then her stomach betrayed her by grumbling loudly. 

"Maybe later." she said. "How about dinner first?" Will smiled. 

"I thought you'd never ask."    
  
The grounds were a lot busier when they walked back to the main castle, with students in their bright green robes and teachers in darker green all moving towards the dining hall for dinner. They got some curious looks, but most of the students seemed to think nothing of two un-uniformed people in their midst. The dining hall was filled with several tables, smaller than the ones at Hogwarts but still large enough for a whole class to sit together. The teachers all sat down at two tables to the side, and Will walked over there as well. It felt strange to sit at what Pomona assumed were the reserved teacher's tables, even though they weren't up on a dais like at Hogwarts. But Will sat down with confidence, and was recognised by some of the teachers. As they greeted her and asked her what she had been up to in the last years, the food appeared in front of them. Pomona's last proper meal had been breakfast in Arizona, and while it was still a bit early for dinner by that time zone, she also hadn't really had lunch except for some snacks while they were looking around. So after watching the others to be sure it was okay to do so, she loaded her plate and started eating.    
  
She didn't pay much attention to the conversations around her, until she heard her own name. She looked at Will, who was now talking with an eccentric old woman with a lot of rimples and green hair. Will smiled at her. 

"I was just saying you're an herbologist." she said. "This is Madame Nanaca, who teaches the basic Herbology classes." Pomona swallowed her mouthful of food. 

"Nice to meet you." she said. Madame Nanaca bowed her head at her in greeting, and continued her conversation with Will. 

"So you finally got some green thumbs?" Pomona suppressed a giggle, and Will rolled her eyes at her. 

"I can't say I have, I'm sorry." she said to Madame Nanaca. "But Pomona has her tent set up as a greenhouse, climate compartments and all. She would have done your classes proud." 

Madame Nanaca smiled at Pomona. "Alas, not all our lessons are appreciated! But it looks like at least some of our students pick up the noble work, who was your teacher?" 

"Professor Beery, at Hogwarts, Madame." Pomona said politely. 

"Ah, dear old Herbert!" she exclaimed. "We worked together at a project once, a nice and knowledgeable man. Very good, very good." 

She quizzed Pomona on the plants she had seen and how she looked after them while travelling, and Pomona could feel Will smiling next to her. She clearly wouldn't need to worry about fitting in here.    
  



	12. Is this what normal research looks like?

The Chameleon Plant ( _Passiflora mutatio_ ) is a magical species of passion fruit that occurs in the Amazon Rainforest in northern Brazil. The casual observer may not notice this similarity however, since the plant is constantly transfiguring itself and changing its appearance. The flowers can be either purple, pink, orange, red, blue, or a combination of these colors, with or without frills. The leaves are usually dark green, and can vary in shape and size. The plant can also camouflage itself, taking on different shades of green and brown to make it blend into its surroundings. Like all other passion fruit plants, the Chameleon Plant is a vine, that can grow up to six meters per year. It doesn't have a preference for the type of tree it grows on, as long as the surroundings are light but with limited direct sunlight. The fruits of the Chameleon Plant are sweet, and can lead to a light-headed feeling or even involuntary levitation if someone consumes too many of them. They are popular in local wizarding drinks and sweets, most famously in the filled chocolates called _Maramagia_.   
\- Excerpt from _Magical Shrubs and Vines of Brazil_ by Paolo Combretio  


* * *

  
The guest rooms of Castelobruxo were very comfortable, but Pomona couldn't help missing her trusty tent. When she woke up on her first full day at Castelobruxo, she looked at the gold ceiling a little confused that she could not see the sunlight shine through it. When she opened her curtains, she could see the jungle though, and quickly got dressed. After barging into Will's room without knocking, she found her girlfriend actually trying to tame her hair. She laughed, and Will looked up. 

"Oh shut it, will you?" she muttered, sticking her tongue out to Pomona in the mirror. Pomona walked up behind her, and wrapped her arms around her. 

"I'm sorry, it just reminds me we're not in the middle of nowhere anymore." 

Will turned around, and kissed her. "Well, we sort of are, just not alone... Are you ready?" 

"Yes, I've got everything I'll need in my bag." 

"Great, just let me get mine and we can get down to breakfast." Will looked at her watch. "We're right on time, perfect."    
  
They left the room, and Will led them to the central staircase in the middle of the castle. Pomona tried to watch where they were going, to memorize the way to their rooms as quickly as possible. The hall was still half empty when they entered, and the students that were there were a lot quieter than last night. Will walked to the same table they had sat at last night, and Pomona followed her. The teachers were enjoying their peaceful breakfast, talking quietly in twos or threes or reading the newspaper. Pomona looked around for the tea, and when she finally found a can she sniffed it cautiously. Will smiled. 

"Here, you want this one." she said, handing Pomona a smaller blue pot. Pomona inhaled deeply, and added milk to her cup. 

"Just what I needed." she said, and grabbed a roll. "It's also great to have fresh bread without going through the trouble of making it ourselves, isn't it?" 

"Just wait for Sundays, that's all I'm saying." answered Will.   
  
After breakfast, they went back up to the library. Will walked in with confidence, and after talking to the librarian for a moment they went to a nook with a large table and comfortable looking chairs. They got their papers out, and Will rolled up her sleeves. 

"Let's get this party going!" she said, causing Pomona to burst out into giggles. 

"I never took you for such an enthusiastic reader." she said. Will shrugged. 

"Being outside is better, but I've been wondering about some things for ages and can't wait to tie it all up. Ask me again in an hour, I'm sure I'll behave much closer to your expectations by then."    
  
They got started, and Pomona quickly realized that the sheer size of the library at Castelobruxo was as much of a hindrance as a help. She started with her desert research, because it was still fresh and also because she thought looking if any of the things she had found had been described before would be an easy enough task. Luckily all the floras were put together and organized geographically, but then it got a little harder. She took a big stack of books back to their table, and started leafing through them. About half of the books on the Arizona area were in English, which would be time-consuming but otherwise not difficult to read. The trouble started when she realized a lot of the other books were in Spanish, and also some in German and French for some indistinct reason. She sighed and went back to the stacks, this time to find a book on simple translation spells. They had done some of them during Charms, but that felt like it was ages ago.    
  
She was halfway through the first book, making some notes on a piece of parchment, when Will returned. She was looking more bored already, carrying her own pile of books that she dropped down on the table with so much force Pomona's parchment flew away. 

"Oops, sorry!" she said, picking it up and removing the smudge with her wand. "Man, this feels like homework already." 

"Twelve inches on the goblin rebellion of 1498, ready on Monday." Pomona said in her most posh voice. 

Will swallowed a giggle, with a hasty look at the librarian. Then she got out her notes, and sighed. 

"At least your books are in a language you know." Pomona said, with a quick look at the spines. 

"I know, I know, I can't complain. And I know it's all worth it in the end. I just need to get into it. Let's just agree to actually take the weekends off, okay? I need something to look forward to." 

"Gladly." Pomona smiled. "I do want to see something of the rainforest, you know."   
  
And so a new routine developed. After breakfast they went to the library, and stayed there until lunch. Then Pomona went to her tent for a few hours, to look after her plants and work on her experiments there. She had quickly gotten permission to pitch the tent in a corner of the IHG greenhouse, and kept the flap open when she was in to invite curious staff members to take a look. It was the quickest way to get to know new people, and she loved the hours she spent in her tent or the different greenhouses. The workers of the International Herbology Guild treated her like an equal, which was slightly unnerving but very nice. She also caught a glimpse of some of the higher-ups, but while she was sure they knew she was there they didn't come to talk to her and she didn't search them out. When she was done with the practical work, she went back to the library for a few more hours. Progress was slow but certain, the research kept fun by reading weird passages out loud to each other. After dinner they took time off, often sneaking into one of the courtyards or the menagerie ("It's not forbidden, we just have no good reason for being there!") for some quiet time alone.   
  
In the weekends they put on their field robes again, and explored the rainforest around the school. Will had warned her, but the first time the Caipora started to throw leaves and small sticks at them she still startled. She quickly learned to ignore them though, even if some of their less well-timed attacks earned a few swear words. The first day they flew until Castelobruxo was just a sparkling dot in the distance, following the river. Having spent so much time in the Bornean rainforest, Pomona quickly spotted the small differences, but she made few notes. She doubted there were any undiscovered plants so close to a school that focussed on them, and had way too much fun flying around with Will to patiently sketch a plant. Will showed Pomona all her favorite spots, reminiscing about her time at Castelobruxo with almost as much nostalgia as Pomona had when she talked about Hogwarts. Sometimes Leanodro or one of the other staff members went with them, but most of the time it was just the two of them. They brought food and snacked in the treetops, went to a cave behind a waterfall and sat in a hide-out for a few hours, paying more attention to each other than to their surroundings.    
  
After two weeks, Pomona had all the information she needed for her article about the Jumping Cacti, and two shorter ones on new species she had discovered in the desert. She gave herself a few days to carefully rewrite them, making sure they were as good as she could get them before sending them in to Herbologia, the international Herbology journal. She took the rest of the day off, and when Jonathan heard she had just submitted her first articles he threw a small impromptu party for her in the canteen of the Magibotany department. She blushed when they toasted on her, muttering how it wasn't even published yet. But Will gave her a stern look. 

"Enjoy it! And you know it will get published, you single-handedly doubled the amount of knowledge on Jumping Cacti."    
  
Then a man in the formal Herbology Guild robes, instead of the blue robes everyone wore while working, approached her. 

"Behave," Pomona hissed to Will. "That's the chair of the International Herbology Guild!" 

He, too, congratulated her on her articles, and asked her some questions about the different plants. He was especially interested in the Jumping cacti, nodding thoughtfully while she talked. 

"So you have collected multiple specimens of them?" 

"Yes sir, although almost all of them are seeds. I'm germinating a few of them. I have one that's older, he hopped into my tent when I was leaving and rooted in a pot of sand - though of course he rarely stays put." 

"Would you be willing to sell some of the seedlings? We don't have any Jumping Cacti yet, and they would make a good addition to our collection. As well as any other plants you might have collected that we don't already own. You can discuss the details with Paolo, our collections manager." 

"It would be an honor, sir." she answered. 

"Great. I'll see you around." He walked away, leaving Pomona staring at his back. 

"Selling specimens?" Will said. "You're going to end up like a proper plant hunter from the Victorian era!" Pomona laughed. 

"Hardly. But it will be nice to earn some money with them, I won't have place for all of it once the seeds germinate anyway. I was already thinking of making some donations, but selling is better." 

Will agreed. "More money means more travel, right?"   
  
And so things continued, both of them spending more time in the library than they had ever done for exams. Pomona liked it, now that she had the translation spells down and had found a method that worked for her. Will joined her in the mornings and was making some good progress too, but in the afternoons she usually went down to the Menagerie to help Leanodro. If Pomona was honest it was easier to get her work done in those hours: when they were in the library together it was only too easy to get distracted, and as soon as one of them was out of the zone the other soon followed. Nonetheless, she enjoyed the camaraderie of working together.    



	13. So teach us things worth knowing

The Bouncing Bulb ( _Robugravia spec._ ) is a plant that consists of a large bulb with a small rosette of green leaves on top. Depending on the species the color of the bulb may vary, but the purple Robugravia tulipa is the most common species. Bouncing Bulbs jump around when they're not restrained, and can be kept in special pots with a cage on top (available in your specialized Herbology store). Smaller specimens can be handled by moderately experienced witches or wizards, but when they are full grown they are incredibly strong and the only way to stop one from wreaking havoc might be the use of Incendio or similar spells to destroy it. Bouncing Bulbs can grow up to two meters tall, in which case few cages will be strong enough to restrain it. Because of their potential danger the trade in Bouncing Bulbs is regulated by the Ministry of Magic, so that only customers with a NEWT or equivalent in Herbology can buy them. Not many people want to own one anyway, because however cute the small ones may be they literally grow out of hand. The largest known collection of Bouncing Bulbs is at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, where they are a part of the Herbology lessons as well as the subject of extra research. The collection was gifted to the school by Phyllida Spore, author of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and later Headmistress of Hogwarts. They are housed in a special reinforced greenhouse, to which only the head of the Herbology Department has the key.  
\- Excerpt from _Botany: Special Collections_ by Demetrius Didiolus  


* * *

  
Christmas crept up on them. One day Pomona woke up to hallways decorated with tinsel and glowing baubles, and realised with a shock it was only two weeks until the Winter Holidays started. She asked Will what her plans were over breakfast. 

"Are you planning to go back home?" 

Will hesitated. "Do you want to?" she asked. 

"It would be nice, I didn't go home last year and I know my parents would like to see me. And I miss some of my friends." At least, now that she thought about them. "You didn't plan on going, did you?" Wills face told her everything she needed to know. "Look, you don't have to. Or we could go to Britain but stay at our own place. Hell, we could even camp. I've got enough heating spells on my tent to melt the North Pole." 

"Nah, I couldn't go to Britain without at least visiting my parents. It's easier to just pretend it's too much of a hassle to come over, but that's really starting to get a weak excuse after three years." 

"You haven't seen your parents in three years?!" Pomona asked, barely remembering to keep quiet so the witch sitting two places over wouldn't hear. This felt like a sensitive subject. Will stared at her porridge. 

"It's not that I'm not welcome, but I just feel like it's easier for all of us if I stay away, you know? Everytime we talk it's the pinnacle of awkward. I don't get them, they don't get me. I feel like an alien." 

"Oh, Will, I'm so sorry." muttered Pomona, and risked putting an arm around her. 

"It's fine." Will said. "Really, it's not great but we write polite letters every once in a while and that's enough for me. I've got other people." She smiled at Pomona, who didn't miss the notion she was one of the people Will meant.    
  
But Pomona wanted Will to have a good time too. In the end they agreed to travel to Britain a few days before Christmas, and leave right after to go on a little adventure of their own. Pomona started her planning by writing letters to her parents and friends, which was luckily a lot easier now that they were at one of the big magical schools. Letters could get sent to the other side of the ocean without an owl having to fly all the way, which made communication a lot quicker. It also meant they could use the direct connection between Castelobruxo and Hogwarts, making their travel a matter of minutes. But even with their plans taking form, she tried not to get distracted too much by the thoughts of a holiday at home. If she worked hard on it, she could finish her article on the carnivorous plants she had studied in Borneo, as well as some species descriptions and an essay on the different logic behind plant uses that she had learned from the Tertuntong. That last one she wanted to send off to them so they could check it, so she really wanted to get it done before she went on holiday and festivities took over.    
  
She had a meeting with the collections manager of the International Herbology Guild, who not only was interested in some of her specimens, but also helped her to re-do the spells on her herbarium to ensure it would last a long time. She had learned basic drying spells for her NEWT in Herbology, but his professional spells went far beyond that level. Her tent was still filled to the brim with plants and her herbarium, to the extent that she was silently wondering how hard it would be to add another room to it. That would have to wait though, because the Winter Holidays were approaching like an unstoppable storm. They packed everything they would need, and Pomona was happy they didn't have to completely clear their rooms in the few busy days they had. After using her tent for so long, she hadn't truly realized how much their belongings spread all over their living space. They had kept up the facade of sleeping in different rooms for about a week, and now most of the stuff they used daily was in Will's room with random other items in Pomona's, even though she couldn't remember when Will could have possibly used her foldable tea kettle in there.    
  
Finally, on the last Thursday of term, they walked all the way up the stairs to Professor Dourado's office, to take their Portkey to the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts. Pomona felt a little giddy, and had a little bounce in her step. Will had been silent since they had gotten up, and didn't speak. At first Pomona had worried about that, but Will had told her not to fuss. 

"I'm fine, really. Once I'm there it will be okay, I'm just a little nervous." 

She was going to visit her parents first, and then take a room in the Leaky Cauldron until Christmas eve. Pomona wasn't sure what she was going to do with her time, and she got the impression that Will didn't really know either. That was her business though, so she didn't press the matter.    
  
Professor Dourado was in her office, as usual. Outside of meals, Pomona hadn't seen her around at all. She greeted them, and pointed to an old newspaper. 

"This is your Portkey, it will leave in five minutes." They nodded. "So, did you have a good time so far?" Professor Dourado asked. 

"Yes, Professor." Pomona answered. "The library has been very helpful, but I've also enjoyed getting a look at all the Herbology departments and talking to the different staff members." 

Will smiled her first genuine smile of the day. "It's been great to be back, Professor." she said. Professor Dourado looked closely at her. "And I've heard you have been helping out in the Magizoology department again, instead of just working on the projects you came here for." 

Will grinned. "I like it." was all she said.    
  
"Very well." said Professor Dourado, when the newspaper on the table between them began to glow and vibrate. "If you would both please hold the Portkey? And give my kind regards to Professor Dippet." 

"We will." Will answered for them, and then the office disappeared and it felt like they were pushed through a thin straw. After a second, another office appeared. This one was circular, with countless portraits on the walls and windows that showed a splendid view of the Scottish highlands in winter. Pomona sighed, and smiled widely. Then she turned around, to greet Professor Dippet. Her old Headmaster was sitting in a lazy chair, reading a book. He put it away, and stood up to shake their hands. 

"Good afternoon, how lovely to see both of you again." 

"Good afternoon, Professor." Pomona said. "Professor Dourado sent her regards." 

"Ah, good, good. And you will be back here on the 29th, right?" 

"Yes Professor." Will answered. "If that is not getting in the way of any holiday celebrations of course." 

"Oh, don't worry about that. I'm here anyway, so I can easily send both of you off again." 

"Wonderful!" said Pomona. "Well, unless you want to discuss something else, we're off." 

Professor Dippet gave them a grandfatherly smile. "Go on, and happy holidays." 

"Merry Christmas, Professor." Pomona said, and they walked out of the door.    
  
The narrow spiral staircase moved way too slowly for Pomona's taste, and when they stepped out from behind the gargoyle it was like she had stepped back in time. Just like the halls of Castelobruxo, the halls of Hogwarts were decorated for Christmas. But here there were holly and mistletoe everywhere, and she smiled when they walked past the first coat of armour that was monotonously singing 'God rest ye merry Hippogriffs'. 

"It's weird to think I've been travelling for almost as long as I've been at Hogwarts, and still this feels like coming home." she said to Will. 

"Childhood nostalgia." said Will dryly. "But I can't blame you, I felt the same about Castelobruxo. Feels good, doesn't it?"   
  
Pomona looked at her watch, correcting it for the new time zone. "Thirty minutes until the end of class." she said. "Perfect, no need to hurry then. I do want to get out of here before the hallways fill up, or it's going to take ages." 

They walked down the grand staircase, until they were on the second floor. 

"I want to stop by the Transfiguration Department, you can manage from here right?" Pomona said. 

"Yeah, of course. Have fun." Will seemed to hesitate, but Pomona winked and pulled on her arm. She moved a tapestry, and revealed a space that was too small to be a room, but too big for a broom closet. 

"Oh, you know the snogging spots!" Will teased her. "Do I want to know why?" Pomona didn't dignify that with an answer, and kissed her. Will dropped her bag, to have both of her hands free. 

"I'm going to miss you" she whispered in Pomona's hair. 

"We'll see each other on Saturday." promised Pomona. "We can meet up in Diagon alley, and then- oh, yes - then we can find someplace more private." 

"I'll look forward to it." breathed Will. Her watch started vibrating. "And bugger, that will just have to do, or I'm never getting out of here." They laughed, and Pomona straightened her robes and ran her hand through her hair. 

"Alright, good luck at your parent's place." she said, and peered out from behind the tapestry. "Coast is clear!" 

They stepped back into the corridor, and after a quick kiss on her cheek, Pomona was alone.    
  
She walked into the Transfiguration corridor, and peeked through the window of the main classroom. Professor Dumbledore was teaching what looked like a sixth- or seventh-year Alchemy class to a small group of students who were all taking notes on the complicated formulas and diagrams he wrote on the blackboard. The classroom on the opposite end of the hallway was empty, and after that the smaller rooms and labs started. Most of them were empty too, but she heard a voice coming from the last one. She walked up to it, and knocked on the open door to announce her presence. Before she could hear an answer, she looked in.   
  
Minerva was standing at another blackboard, in her trademark emerald robes with matching pointed hat. Her friends always joked that it was kind of ironic for the passionate Gryffindor to wear Slytherin colors, but it suited her. The mere sight was enough to make Pomona smile, she hadn't realized how much she missed her friend. Minerva looked, up. 

"What is it?" she asked annoyed, until she saw who it was. Her eyes widened. "Pomona! You're early!" 

She walked towards Pomona with open arms, crayon still in her hand. Pomona returned the hug. 

"It's wonderful to see you." she said. "How are you?" 

"I'm good, but I daresay your life has been more interesting than mine. It seems like each letter I received came from a different continent." Pomona laughed. 

"You're exaggerating. But I'm good. Great, really." She pointed at the blackboard. "Hard at work?" 

Minerva gave an exasperated sigh. "Kind of, but it can wait. I doubt staring at it for another hour will do me much good, anyway." 

Pomona tried to understand the formulas, but theoretical Transfiguration had never been her strong suit. She just managed to recognize some of the elements and variables, when she gave up and decided she would much rather talk to Minerva.    
  
"Durable gemstone transformation not going well?" she asked. 

"Hm? Oh, no. I actually managed that a few months ago, this is another project. I'm this close to finishing it, but of course there's always something that just doesn't do what you want it to." 

Minerva walked over to the windowsills, which were widened to neat little seats. They sat down, and looked out over the grounds. Pomona could see the Forbidden Forest in the distance, and half the Quidditch field. 

"It's funny, how after all I've seen this view still makes me smile." she said. 

Minerva looked at her. "Homesick?" she asked. 

"Hardly. But it does feel good to be back."   
  
Minerva had a House elf bring them tea, and Pomona told her the bits about her travel that she hadn't written about already. Minerva listened intently, one of the things Pomona liked most about her. In her letters she had been careful with what she said about Will, but now she spoke more freely of her. 

"Wait, she went to Hogwarts? But if she's older than you, she should be around my year." 

"Oh, of course. She didn't go by Will here, her full name is Wilhelmina. She was in Gryffindor actually." 

Minerva looked surprised. "Wilhelmina? I do remember her, but we didn't talk much. She mostly kept to herself. She left after her OWLs, right? I remember something about her getting into another school. She didn't brag about it, but it was quite a prestation." Pomona grinned. 

"Sounds like Will." she said. "And yes, that would be when she went to Castelobruxo."    
  
Minerva examined her face closely. "What are you not telling me?" she asked. Pomona felt her cheeks flush, and Minerva gave her an amused smile. "Pomona, do you have feelings for her?" she asked softly. She was one of the very few people Pomona had told about her school days' crush, so the question didn't really come out of the blue. She looked at her lap. 

"Yes..." she said. Then she looked up. Better do this properly. "We're together, actually." 

"Oh, Pomona, that's lovely!" Minerva said, patting her hand. "Why haven't you told me before? Now I want to meet her!" 

Pomona shrugged. "Not because I don't trust you, if that's what you're thinking. I just-" She looked at Minerva, hoping the other witch would understand what she was trying to say. It seemed like she did, because Minerva tutted. 

"You can talk about it, you know. Just because you don't talk about something in public doesn't mean you should feel nervous telling your friends."    
  
Right at that time, the bell rang. They heard chairs scraping over the floor, and soon the noise of footsteps and talking in the corridors. But their little room stayed peaceful and quiet, and they continued talking. Minerva wanted to know more about Will, so Pomona told her all about their accidental meeting, and how they became friends in Arizona. About their travel in Canada, from the rainforests to the permafrost. About how nice it was to have a companion that understood what she loved about her work, and to bounce ideas off of. And about the long nights spent outside or in her tent, just talking or making out. She blushed when she talked about that, and Minerva stifled a laugh. "Oh, Pomona." she sighed. She had listened to Pomona's story with interest, but Pomona saw a flash of a painful look on her face before she disguised it again. She sighed. That was one of the other reasons she had hesitated to tell Minerva about her relationship, at least in a letter. She hadn't told Pomona much about her own failed engagement, but hearing Pomona blab on happily about her relationship had to hurt at least a little bit.    
  
"But anyway, enough about me." she said. "How are things here? Students making your life difficult?" 

"Of course they are. I would say I learned how to read the most scratchy of handwriting in the last few years, but I think I already learned that at the Ministry. But I enjoy the rest of it." 

Professor Dumbledore came in, and looked around before he saw them. "I would hope so." he said. "Hello, Pomona." 

He walked around the large workbench in the center of the room, and walked towards the nook they were sitting in. "Am I intruding?" he asked, eying the biscuits on the plate between them. 

Minerva looked at Pomona. "Would it be okay to catch up some more later? It would be really good if Albus could go over that spell with me before the end of the day, I feel like I'm just missing some annoying detail." 

"Of course. I'll just take a quick look at the greenhouses and then go greet my parents. I promised I would be there in time for supper anyway." She looked at her watch. "Which means I should get going, if I actually want to see the greenhouses." 

She stood up. "It was wonderful to see you again Minerva, I'll talk to you soon." Minerva stood up too, and hugged her goodbye. 

"I'm glad you're here again, even if it's just for a short while." she said. "Goodbye!"   
  
As soon as she walked out the front door and turned towards the greenhouses, Pomona breathed in the fresh air and smiled. Her feet were adding footprints to the snow, the path to the greenhouses already tred on by many before her. Her feet brought her automatically to Greenhouse Seven, right next to the office of the Herbology Professor. This was where the projects of the Herbology Club and some NEWT students lived, and she wasn't surprised to see people there. Three students were standing together to the end one of the benches, robes discarded to the side and sleeves pushed up. They seemed to be debating something, and Pomona fought the urge to go inside and see what they were up to. They didn't notice her, and she didn't look close enough through the fogged up windows to recognise any of them.    
  
The greenhouse at the other side of the corridor was occupied too, which did surprise Pomona. Professor Beery wasn't one to stick around long after classes were over. Maybe he wanted to keep an eye on whatever was going on next door? Because there he was, sitting with his feet up his desk reading Herbologia just like she'd seen so many times before. Overcome with nostalgia, she opened the door. He looked up, expecting one of his students, and smiled when he saw Pomona instead. 

"Pomona! To what do I owe this honor?" He put his feet back on the ground, and stood up to greet her. 

"Hello, Professor. I'm just moving through, and decided to take a look here. It all looks exactly the same, it's great to see." 

"Ah, yes, some things never change. But sit down! Do you want some tea, or are you expected somewhere else?"   
  
She accepted his offer, and they sat down while professor Beery summoned a house elf. Tea came quickly, and even though Pomona had just had tea with Minerva she enjoyed the hot drink. Professor Beery asked everything about her journey and the different plants she'd seen, and was delighted to hear her stories. It was great to just talk about the plants, and it reminded Pomona again why she'd gone out into the world. She told him about everything she had seen, from the rainforests in different parts of the world to the desert of Arizona. They even cleared some space in the hallway, so she could pitch her tent and show him some of the things she had collected. He loved her Jumping Cactus, and laughed when she told him she had named it Bruce. 

"I know what you said about anthropomorphism, but I-" 

"-couldn't help yourself." he finished her sentence. "I can't really blame you, if you really studied their behaviour for so long." 

"My article should be out soon." she told him, and he beamed proudly at her. 

"So it's accepted? I know you wrote me you had submitted it, I'll be looking forward to it." 

"Yes, it should be in the next edition."    
  
When they had finished the tour, she packed the tent again and they went back into his office. 

"So, what are your next plans?" Professor Beery asked her, as he poured her another cup of tea. 

"I'm not sure." she said. "I'll probably stay at Castelobruxo for at least a few more months, I need the library to finish my research. After that, it depends on what Will wants to do too." 

He gave her a knowing smile, and she thanked the stars for his tact. "But do you want to keep travelling, or are you going to look at a job that requires you to stay in one place?" She shrugged. 

"I don't really know, it also depends on what comes on my path... But I really love travelling, so unless I find something else it's probably going to be that." 

He leaned closer to her, and gave her a conspirative look. "I think we've got an opening in the department for a trainee, since I'm getting older and won't be teaching for much longer. I think I could talk professor Dippet into hiring my successor early so I can train them. Especially such a young talent as yourself, you could use a research position combined with some guidance about teaching I think. If you want it, of course."    
  
Pomona was dumbstruck. "Are you serious?" 

He smiled and nodded at her. "I've seen the way you are with the younger students, Pomona. They look up to you, and you've got just the right attitude about helping them so that they accept your advice. Have you ever thought about teaching?" 

"Not seriously, just as something I might want to do later in life. I also didn't expect you to retire so early, you're younger than some of the other professors and they're not stopping anytime soon." 

"I know, I know. But I don't have the energy to wrestle with Venomous Tentacula everyday anymore, and some of the other more physical parts of the job. Herbology is not just about waving your wand, as you well know." He pointed at her arms, that were strong and muscular and still had some scratches from an unfortunate encounter with Bruce on them. She grinned self consciously. 

"I guess that's true. And honestly, I really appreciate your offer. I would love to come back to Hogwarts and teach, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet." 

He smiled at her. "You take your time. The offer will be waiting for you if you want it."   
  
After that their conversation turned back to lighter subjects, until it started to get dark and Pomona really had to go. She thanked Professor Beery for his hospitality, and he walked her all the way to the gate. After saying goodbye, she turned on the spot and imagined the garden of her childhood home.    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is a line from the Hogwarts school song.


	14. Holiday Cheer

Many plants are associated with the Christmas season, but most of all probably Holly ( _Ilex spp._ ). While there are many species of Holly, the one we see most commonly used for decoration is European holly ( _Ilex aquafolium_ ), an evergreen tree with waxy leaves and bright red berries that it carries all throughout winter. Lesser known is the magical species _Ilex luceare_ or Boozeberry, a smaller shrub that is not evergreen but does keep it's berries until at least January or February. It grows in old forests close to leylines, and can be hard to find because it often grows entwined with other plants. The berries can be made into a liquor, typically known as Berrybouse. Traditionally, this is made on New Year's eve and then aged in oakwood barrels to be consumed at the next Christmas, but the process can be speeded up by adding a drop of Aging Potion to the barrel. While Berrybouse immediately cures any indigestion caused by over-indulging in holiday food, drinking too much of it causes a hangover so horrible many will say it's just not worth it.  
\- Excerpt from _The Wasted Wizard: a guide to alcoholic beverages_ by Jacques de Bourgogne  


* * *

  
Even before Pomona opened her eyes, she could smell dinner and hear her mother sing to herself while she cooked. She remained on the spot she had landed on for a little while, giving herself a mental pep talk. There was no reason to be stressed about visiting her parents, they loved her and she loved them. And she did really look forward to seeing them, but now that she was actually here she couldn't help but wonder... How much should she tell them about her last year, about Will? But she pictured Minerva's look if she knew what Pomona was thinking right now, and that was enough for her to open her eyes and walk up to the backdoor. Here, too, the ground was covered in snow. The garden, usually very well-kept, was hidden under a thick white blanket, and her footsteps crunched as she made her way through. Next to the shed a single dandelion was poking its yellow head through, and she smiled. If it could do this, so could she.    
  
As soon as Pomona opened the door, her mother smiled so widely she felt guilty she hadn't visited sooner. 

"Good afternoon." she said, and her mother immediately gave her a crushing hug. Then she held her at arm's length, and looked up and down. 

"You're looking good." she sad. "And so mature! Oh, it's so lovely to see you." 

Pomona couldn't help but grin. "It's lovely to see you too, Mum." she said. 

Her father had come into the kitchen when he heard all the racket, and hugged her as well. "Looks like my little girl isn't so little anymore! Come in, put your cloak away." 

"Dinner is almost ready." promised her mum. 

Pomona led herself be guided into the hallway, where she put her cloak on a coat hanger and her bag in a corner, and then followed her father into the living room. She looked around. The room still looked familiar, but she saw that her parents had gotten a new couch and it felt odd not to know how long ago that was. For all she knew, they had had it for over a year. But she put that unsettling thought aside, and sat down.    
  
The questions her parents asked her before and during dinner were all easy to answer, and she loved telling them all about the places she had been in the last two years. She knew they weren't that much into plants, but there were enough stories to tell that didn't revolve around some interesting species or another. She made a point to ask about their lives as well, but they always quickly turned the conversation around again by asking about another detail. She got the sudden realization that this, listening to their daughters stories, was probably the closest they had ever gotten to such exotic places. And so she told them about the rainforest, about mountains and snow and the hot desert. She couldn't help but adding Will into the mix, telling about how they had watched the Thunderbird together and how they were studying at Will's old school now. She thought her parents shared a knowing look, but chose to ignore it. She wasn't avoiding the topic, or was she? Avoiding talking about their relationship was just too easy, and she didn't really like it. Suddenly telling her parents about her travels wasn't as fun anymore.   
  
Dinner was over, and despite her mother's protests Pomona helped carrying the dishes to the kitchen. They started washing themselves with a quick spell, and together they put the clean dishes back in the cupboard as soon as they were produced. Pomona loved this, working together with the clinking and splashing noise in the background. It felt like she was back at home from Hogwarts, like she had been so many times. Her mother looked content as well, and right when she thought she should say something her mother asked her 

"So, this Will... Is he handsome?" Pomona almost snorted, but managed to disguise it as a sneeze. 

"Er, mum?" she said. "I know the name is a little confusing, and I probably should have said it earlier, but Will is a woman." 

"Oh!" said her mother. "I am so sorry, I thought you fancied -er, him." Pomona blushed deeply. This was too perfect, she had to say something. 

"I, er, I do. Fancy her, I mean." Her mother's eyes went wide. Pomona got the next cup and put it away, anxiously awaiting a reaction. But her mother seemed incapable of saying anything, and Pomona could virtually see the cogs in her head turning. "Mum?" she asked softly.    
  
Her mother looked her in the eyes, with a gentle sadness that made Pomona's heart grow cold. 

"I'm sorry." she whispered, and made for the door. 

"I, no, don't." her mother said, stopping her in her tracks. "Please don't go, I'm not mad." She breathed deeply, and embraced Pomona. "I love you," she said in her ear. "I won't pretend I understand, but I do love you." 

Pomona leaned into her mother's arms, and sniffed. "That's all I'm asking for." she answered. Her mother let go, and gave her a forced smile. 

"So, this Will, is she handsome?" she asked. Now Pomona really laughed. 

"I guess she is." she said. "We've been together for eight months now." 

"And you are happy?" 

Pomona smiled at her. "Yes, I am." she said.   
  
The rest of the evening was a little uncomfortable, but Pomona was still glad she had told her mother about Will. The secret was out. And if she was a bit sad that her mother didn't really get it, the fact that she didn't care any less about her was enough to satisfy her. Maybe with time, it would get easier. Right now her mother wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, and two could play that game. Pomona would gladly answer questions about Castelobruxo and plants, if it meant she was still on good terms with her parents.    
  
The short days before Christmas flew past. Pomona helped her mother cook, met up with Minerva and some other friends for drinks in the Three Broomsticks, and went Christmas shopping with Will. Neither of them had much money, and part of their budget was eaten up by buying new field robes now that the old ones were looking rather threadbare. Pomona planned to give plants as most of her presents, since she had enough of them to have something suitable for everyone. But that still left some small things to buy, from chocolates to a frame for one of her drawings that she knew her mother would like. And something for Will, of course, but she had taken her chance on that when she was in Hogsmeade the day before. A neatly packaged sketchbook with a Thunderbird on the front was currently stuffed away in the bottom of her bag, waiting for a good moment to be given away. She didn't feel comfortable holding hands, but simply walking next to each other, chatting and sharing jokes, was enough. Christmas music played in the stores, and Diagon Alley was busy with last-minute shoppers. The old snow was all cleared from the streets, but as they walked new flakes started to fall. Pomona shivered, after the heat of Castelobruxo she wasn't used to the cold anymore. They went to drink some hot chocolate in the Leaky Cauldron to warm up, cuddled closely together in a corner nobody was watching. If this wasn't perfection, Pomona thought, at least it was pretty damn close.   
  
They would spend Christmas apart, neither of them feeling comfortable inviting the other over. Pomona thought that would still be a bit much for her parents, although they had started to ask some careful questions. For Will it was simply out of the question, but she assured Pomona she would still have a good time. 

"I just feel like you're here because I wanted to go." muttered Pomona on the morning of the 24th, when they had a little celebration of their own in Wills room at the Leaky Cauldron. 

"I may not have gone home if you didn't want to go, but that doesn't mean I'm here against my wishes." Will said gently. "Things with my parents are - complicated, but I do still care about them. And I know they care about me. It's worth an awkward Christmas dinner to know they are well and happy, and hear what is going on in their lives. And then I'll gladly leave with you, and have some fun before we go back." She kissed Pomona. "It'll be nice, just the two of us in your tent. Like the old times." 

Pomona laughed. "It's only a few months ago!" But she was looking forward to it too, the promise of an adventure was enough to hold her over until after Christmas.  
  
And Christmas wasn't so bad, really. The food was good, and her visiting nieces and nephews were thrilled to hear stories about all the places she had been. She even managed to forget about any of the emotional complications for a while and just enjoyed playing with the kids and chatting with the adults. Her presents were appreciated too, and she loved the supplies and books she got. But in the quiet moments, she couldn't help but wonder what Will was doing right now, and what things would be like if she was here. Would she enjoy telling young Timmy about dragons, or sit in a corner not knowing what to say? Probably a bit of both, she thought to herself. Will could be uncomfortable with new people, but if she allowed herself to forget that it was like a whole new person came out. Pomona sighed, and drank her butterbeer. Just one more day...  
  
The next day everybody was sleeping in, but Pomona woke up early. She got dressed and packed her bags, before walking downstairs to check for any forgotten books or other items. The house was quiet, which was why she startled when she walked into the kitchen and saw her mother there, drinking a cup of tea and reading a book. Her mother looked up when she was standing in the door opening. 

"Good morning." she said. "You're up early." 

"I could say the same of you." Pomona said, helping herself to a cup of tea and sitting down at the other side of the table. Her mother shrugged. 

"I couldn't sleep anymore. You're getting ready to leave already, aren't you?" Pomona nodded. 

"But I would have waited until you were awake, I'm just packing. It's not even light out." They looked out of the window, where the sky was starting to grow lighter. It was snowing again, Pomona could see the flakes floating down in the light of the full moon.    
  
"I'm sorry that you don't feel like you can bring Will here." her mother said suddenly. Pomona looked at her. 

"She is celebrating Christmas with her own family." she said meekly. 

"Yes, but she could have come here some other day. I know you are meeting with her when you're out of the house." That was true, of course. "I really would like to meet her someday." her mother said. 

"I think I would like that too." Pomona said softly. "I just wanted to give you some time." 

"That is very sweet of you." Her mother smiled at her, and then got up to prepare some breakfast. "So, you are going back to Brazil today, right?" 

"Er," said Pomona. "We're actually going to Romania for two days first." 

Her mother looked at her. "All this travelling..." she muttered. "It's gotten to your head. Who goes to Romania for two days? What are you even doing there?" 

"Dragons." Pomona said. 

"What?!" 

"Will used to work at a dragon reserve in Romania, and apparently it's beautiful there in winter. There's not much to do now in terms of plants though, so she will just show me around and then we're going back to work. It's a little holiday." 

Her mother shook her head. "A little holiday with dragons... Is that safe? Will you be careful?" 

"Of course I will, we know what we’re doing. Will  _ did _ work there, after all." And they had faced things that were much more dangerous than dragons used to people, but she wasn't going to tell her mum that. If she knew about the Hamaliva, she might not let Pomona go back.    
  
Her mother was still muttering about dragons when her father came in. They ate breakfast together, and after that it was time for Pomona to go. She kissed her parents goodbye, and promised to visit sooner this time. Then she put on her familiar old cloak, grabbed her bag, and stepped outside. She gave one look to the house, and then she disapparated to London.    
  
The Leaky Cauldron was almost empty this early on the day after Christmas, and it was immediately clear Will wasn't there yet. Just as Pomona was contemplating ordering some tea to drink while she waited, Will came storming in. 

"Sorry." she puffed. "Parents were being difficult." She looked a little disheveled, with her cloak fastened askew and her bag half-open. 

"Everything okay?" Pomona asked. Will immediately gave her a gentle smile. 

"Not difficult like that." she reassured her. "We just overslept, and then Mum kept fussing. She didn't really seem to agree with our destination." Pomona laughed. 

"My mother had similar concerns." she said. "So, are you ready for the big bad dragons?" 

The elderly barman looked at them, and smiled a toothless grin. Pomona gave him a friendly nod, and they walked to the apparition spot in the corner. Will was a little nervous about leading Pomona on such a long distance, and so they were going to make a stopover in Vienna. They stayed just long enough to feel the freezing cold and get a glimpse of the mountains, and then Will grabbed Pomona's hand and they disapparated again.    
  
The sun was already standing high in the sky when they arrived in Romania, and Pomona looked around. They were standing in a valley between high mountains, the peaks above them and forests on the flanks all covered in snow. A bending path led down, and Will was waiting excitedly for her to steady her footing. 

"Come on!" she said. "It's just around the corner!" 

They followed the path, and indeed before long they turned around a corner and Pomona saw the buildings and stables of the dragon reserve. They were all roughly built in the same style, but still looked mismatched as tiny cottages stood between proper houses and what she could only assume were the stables but looked more like airplane hangars. 

"I didn't realize it was so big!" she told Will. Will looked around. 

"That building over there is new." she said, pointing to one of the larger stables. "They just keep adding things, depending on needs and how much money they have. But it's pretty heavily subsidized by the Romanian ministry and the International Confederation of Wizards, since it's essential to have a safe place for the larger magical creatures."    
  
They walked towards one of the larger houses, which Will said was the main building. 

"We'll probably sleep in one of the cottages, but that all depends on what's available." she said. "But I think all non-essential staff will be away, so there should be plenty of beds to choose from." 

She opened the door, and they went in. From the inside it looked like the log cabins Pomona had seen in the Alps, with wooden beams and furniture and a large roaring fire already burning. A small group of wizards and witches in fur-lined robes were sitting close together, eating what Pomona assumed was their lunch. They looked up when they came in, and a few waved. Will had said she was given all the dirty jobs while she worked here, but she certainly wasn't looked down on now.    
  
They had a wonderful time, short as it was. The best way to explore the reserve was by broom, so they put on their warmest clothes and flew for hours. The mountains were beautiful, and while most of the dragons didn't show themselves because they were hibernating they did spot a blood red Chinese Fireball that was playing in the snow, visible from miles away. When it got darker they went back to the stables, where Will showed her all the young and sick dragons that were part of the conservation and breeding program. Here they saw some staff members again, feeding the babies by hand and tending to a fire of multi-colored eggs. There was a camaraderie there, and Will couldn't help but assist when one of the dragons started struggling and tried to light the man's cloak on fire. Evenings were long but cosy, everybody together in the canteen with the fire roaring. They teased each other like they were family, and Will and Pomona quickly made their way into the mix of well-meant insults and jokes.   
  
When it was time to leave again, they made one last flight over the valley and got ready to disapparate. Pomona saw Will look longingly at the stables, but personally she was glad to be going back to the tropics. As long as they were inside it was toasty enough, with fire produced by human or beast. But outside it was freezing, and while she had really enjoyed flying around and just exploring together, her toes were ready for the heat. They made another stopover in Vienna, and then one in Diagon Alley to get fresh mince pies. Then it was back to Hogwarts, to get on their Portkey back to Brazil. The castle was deserted, covered in a thick blanket of snow that masked all sound and feeling very empty without the students. Pomona had stayed once over the Christmas holidays, but even then the castle had felt fuller and more alive. Maybe everybody was holed up in their common rooms, because they met nobody until they knocked on the door of the Headmaster's Office.   
  
Professor Dippet was there though, just as he had promised. "Here, this is your Portkey." he said, handing them a book. "I meant to send it to Professor Dourado anyway, so tell her to keep it and read it. I think it will amuse her." 

Pomona looked at the cover, but it was one of those really old books that had no title on there. Maybe a dust jacket had once been made and long since lost, or it was even older and had never had one. She had run across a few of those books during her research, and they greatly annoyed her because she had to open every single one to look at the table of contents, and pray silently they even had one of those. But this was not for her, and so she gratefully accepted it. 

"Do we have to wait long?" Will asked. Professor Dippet shook his head. 

"Just say when you're ready, and I'll send you through. It seemed more appropriate, since I wasn't sure at what time you would come." 

"Thank you." Pomona said, and held the book out for Will to grab. Professor Dippet checked that they were holding all their luggage, and counted down. "Three, two, one..."    
  
The tug was over before Pomona knew it, and they were standing in Professor Dourado's office. She was not there, but they left the book with a short note on a scrap piece of parchment and walked down. The heat was stifling, and they hurried to their rooms to change robes. Changing took rather longer than strictly necessary, but once they were both fully clothed again they made their way down to the Hall for a meal. It had been nearly time for lunch when they had left Romania, and now Pomona's watch told her they were right in time for breakfast. Because the students and a lot of the staff members were home for the holidays, meals were only served in the Hall instead of in all the different dining halls in the departments and research facilities. Even with those extra people the Hall was only filled for a quarter, with people in robes of all colors instead of the usual shades of green. Some staff was always needed to keep a school of this size running, and the amount of this essential staff was again a reminder to Pomona of how big Castelobruxo actually was. They walked up to their usual table, which was now shared by a few teachers and some people from the Menagerie that Will greeted enthusiastically. Leanodro was there, and Will immediately launched into a story about the dragons they had seen. Pomona just smiled and sat down, pouring herself a cup of tea. It was not Hogwarts, but after a few months Castelobruxo was starting to feel like some kind of home too.   
  



	15. A decision

The rubber tree ( _Hevea brasiliensis_ ) is one of the few magical plants that Muggles have managed to discover, grow and use. Its sap, that flows from the inner bark when this is cut, is known as latex and is used by Muggles to produce rubber, a bendable material they use for a wide variety of things like tires and even clothing. While this is a very useful product, that wizards utilize as well, they know that the true magic of the rubber tree lies in its fruits and seeds. The fruit capsules contain three large seeds each, and burst open explosively when they are ripe. If the seeds are caught before they touch the earth, roasted and ground finely, they form an important base for wizarding fireworks (it's the main ingredient of Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and is responsible for the wet start and lack of heat production). This use of Hevea seeds makes wizarding fireworks much safer than the Muggle variety, though the author still recommends caution when setting off fireworks of any variety.  
\- Excerpt from _Ready, set, boom_ by Flora Filibuster  


* * *

  
Pomona had a hard time to get into her research again, and when New Year's Eve came around she had only done the usual maintenance in her tent and drawn up a plan for her next article. They took the day off, and went to a small party the people from the Magizoology department were throwing. At midnight they all stood outside, and watched as magical fireworks were being lit at the top of the school. There were barely any students there to enjoy the spectacle, but as Will held her hand Pomona grinned in the light and gave her a quick kiss. She thought nobody noticed, but Leanodro gave her a wink when she turned around. 

"Keep that girl close, Will." he muttered. "And a happy new year to both of you."   
  
When the students came back a few days into the new year, it was easier for Pomona and Will to get back to their routine as well. Pomona was getting close to tying up all the loose ends of her deforestation project, but she felt like she was still missing something. Their visit to Romania had brought the experience she had had during her fieldwork fresh to mind though, and so she decided to keep researching what she could. She also took up some extra gardening tasks, helping the International Herbology Guild to plant or sow some of the plants she had collected in the wild. It was nice to do something physical next to all her studying, and she was starting to get an insiders perspective on what it took to keep a complex greenhouse running. There were certainly more little spells, rune work and complicated equipment involved than she had ever seen at Hogwarts, although she was sure the system there had to be similar. It was just not something that was ever explained as part of the Herbology classes or even club, and here the other workers noticed her interest and explained how everything worked if they had enough time. It was all very interesting, but on some days checking the spells or shovelling dragon dung onto plants started to feel like a drag.   
  
Helping in the greenhouses led to helping in the gardens outside, and so Pomona found herself spending more and more time in the border between wild forest and school grounds. All the plants here were native species, but some of them had had a little help in getting there or maintaining their presence. There were plenty of paths meandering around, and sometimes groups of students came there to study the environment in a more natural habitat. One day she was pruning Flutterby bushes when her eye fell upon a small glowing flower in the distance. It had to have opened recently, because she didn't see it before. She put down her shears, and carefully walked closer.   
  
It was a subtle pink flower, with five simple petals. It was attached to a single leaf, fresh green like a beech leave that had just unfolded. When she squinted at the flower, it was like it was surrounded by a halo of dusty pink light. She kneeled to get a closer look, sure that this plant was magical. That thought was confirmed when her sleeve brushed along the leave, but instead of touching it slightly tugged on her arm and went around. She gasped, a sliver of understanding forming in her mind. She tried to touch the flower with her finger, but a few centimeters away from it she hit an invisible barrier. She got up again, carefully testing the barrier with her foot. She could not step on the little plant, her foot was either stuck in mid-air or got redirected to the side. She made a sketch, wishing she had brought her camera with her to capture the beautiful colors.    
  
She could see another of the flowers in the distance and walked towards it, shears forgotten. As she walked the flowers got more abundant, and she could see some of the leaves as well, all fresh green as if they had just emerged from the ground below. In a dark valley, there were so many of the little plants she could not walk there, and she stood aside, mesmerized. The little flowers all glowed, giving the forest an eerie feeling. The creaking in the trees above didn't help, but by now Pomona was used to the Caipora and paid it no mind. She knew they wouldn't do any real harm as long as she didn't damage the forest, and even if she wanted to she couldn't hurt these flowers. Suddenly a name she had read somewhere came to her: Clemurin, the little heart of the forest. She mentally went over the parts of the description she could remember: everything fit. But her book hadn't been able to describe the true nature of the plants properly, the sense of raw magic she got when she looked at them. Although she realized that could just be the forest itself, since Clemurin grew at places with a long history of magic. She grew a little uneasy, and decided to go back to the path. But she memorized the route she had taken, so she could always come back to get another look.   
  
The next day she took Will there, and while she was not quite as astounded as Pomona, Will really liked them too. There were other advantages to the privacy of the forest as well, and they happily walked hand in hand over the broader paths as soon as they were out of sight of the buildings. It was easy to talk here, far away from prying eyes or ears and the hustle and bustle of the school grounds. Will told Pomona funny stories about the animals she worked with, from cuddly mooncalves to the smart waddle ants and their never-ending endeavors to escape their paddock and take over the entire Menagerie.    
  
Pomona listened happily. "You've really found your place there, haven't you?" she asked. Will shrugged, but her little smile told Pomona everything she needed to know. "I'm happy for you." she said. 

"How about you?" Will asked. "You're saying your work is coming along nicely and you do seem to enjoy the greenhouses and working on the grounds, but I don't think I've seen you as happy as just now with these flowers in weeks." 

It was Pomona's time to shrug. "I don't know..." she said. "I'm enjoying myself, but at the same time I can't see myself doing this for the rest of my life, you know? Or even for another year or so, it feels like a temporary thing that is getting stretched farther and farther every day." Will put an arm around her. "But then you're so happy here that I want to stay, just to see you be like this." Pomona said. 

Will gave her a quick kiss, but frowned. "I am happy here, but I don't want you to just tag along for my sake. It wasn't like that before, and it shouldn't be like that now." They sat down on a fallen tree, sensing that this conversation was going to take longer than just the walk back to Castelobruxo.   
  
Will looked at her. "So if it's not this, what do you want to do?" 

Pomona looked at a branch above them, overgrown with mosses, ferns and bromeliads. "Something with a bit more meaning." she said. "I loved it when I travelled, alone or with you. Discovering new things, arriving somewhere and trying to understand what is going on. All my work in the library was fun because it was building further on to that, but now that's almost finished I feel like I'm just a small pawn in a big system. Looking after the plants here is good and I've learned a lot, but I miss the bigger picture." Will rubbed her hand, and Pomona leaned into it. But before she could get too distracted, she sat up straight again and let Will's hand go. "I got a job offer at Hogwarts." she said suddenly. "And at first I didn't even think about it, but it's been at the back of my mind almost the entire time this week. When I'm working with a certain plant or reading about a phenomenon I imagine how I would explain it to a class, and I've been going over the curriculum in my head. But -" 

"But it's at Hogwarts." Will said softly, and the emotion in her voice broke Pomona's heart. She nodded, a tear forming. 

"I don't know what to do." she whispered. "I don't want to ask you to come, you're so happy here." 

"But you're not." 

"No." Pomona admitted, only truly realizing it for herself when she said the words. "No, I'm not."   
  
They sat for a while, both immersed in their own thoughts. "We don't have to decide anything right now." Pomona said. "Professor Beery said I could take my time, he's not interviewing anything else." Will whistled. 

"You do know that's really impressive, right?" 

Pomona blushed.  "I guess?" Will gave her an elbow-poke. "Yeah, I do know." Pomona said. "There's not many teacher positions, and most of the teachers hold them for a long time. To be offered one like this - it almost feels like nepotism." 

"Do you really think that, or is it a way to keep yourself from accepting the offer?" Will asked. 

"Maybe a little bit of both?" Pomona looked at Will. "But that doesn't solve the issue, does it? I want you to be happy too, and I've seen you this holiday. You don't feel at home in Britain, not like you do here." They both looked around, watching the busy jungle from the little bubble of their barrier charm to keep the mosquitos out while they sat.    
  
"It really means a lot to you." Will said, as if it was the answer to all Pomona's questions. "The work you're doing, travelling, but maybe also teaching. Obviously I like it too, I loved travelling and I love working here. But it's not like that for me, I just like doing it because I'm enjoying myself. You want, or need, more than that to be content." 

"I think - yes." Pomona smiled at Will. "That's better than I would have been able to describe it myself." 

Will grinned. "I've been talking with Leanodro," she said. "He noticed. But he also noticed how much I've changed since I was a student here. I don't think I would have been as happy working in the Menagerie as I am now, even just a year ago. At the risk of sounding incredibly sappy, being with you taught me to have fun with what you do, to see the wonder in little things. And that people aren't all horrible." she added a little softer. "Turns out working with people gets a lot easier if you don't believe that." 

Pomona pulled Will closer. "This is the most important thing for me." she whispered, as she stroked Will's waist. "Just you and me. I want you to know that, even if I'm thinking about going to Britain I would never do it if you didn't want me to, if we couldn't figure out a plan to make it work." 

"I know." Will said. "And I love you for it. But as much as I want things to stay as they are, maybe we should start thinking about that plan, okay?"    
  
But after they went back to the castle and their day-to-day life, they didn't talk about if for a few days. Pomona wanted to think it through for herself, but the more she thought about teaching at Hogwarts the more she started to look forward to it. She found herself looking in on some of the Magibotany lessons, imagining herself in front of the classroom. But then she walked on, and repotted plants or spread fertilizer or went to the library to sit in their favorite corner with Will and it was hard to imagine letting go of what she had right now. She had been working with Will for almost a year, but it felt much longer. She had gotten used to Wills sarcastic comments and useful input, and that was without going into their relationship... Leaving that behind was almost unthinkable. She loved waking up next to Will, cuddled close despite the heat. Talking for hours, or not talking at all but kissing, a hand slowly making its way down under one of their robes until they just discarded them completely.    
  
Was this what Minerva had felt, breaking off an engagement with a man she loved because it didn't fit her way of life? Pomona hadn't understood back then, not really. It had been the first time she truly felt younger than her friend, not as grown up in more than just an academic sense. Now she was starting to get an idea of what it might have been like, and she didn't like it at all. No wonder Minerva had been a wreck, and had immersed herself into her job at the Ministry. Pomona had barely seen her after that first heartbroken conversation, writing letters begging her friend to come to Hogsmeade on the next free weekend so they could talk. She didn't think Minerva was over it now any more than she had been then, and that made her sad. She didn't want that. Will was her girlfriend, but she had also quickly gotten to be her best friend, the person who understood what she was thinking about without needing to speak a single word. What if all that was ruined? They could try a long-distance relationship, but what if that wasn't enough?   
  
It was so much easier to just ignore the issue and pretend nothing was wrong. So easy, that Pomona almost fell for it. Then she started noticing that she didn't speak her mind as much, didn't just share her thoughts without wondering what Will would think about them. She sighed. The next morning, she asked Will if they could take the day off, because they needed to talk about this. To her surprise, Will smiled at her. 

"Yes, we should. Want to get our brooms and fly for a while? We could have a picnic at the waterfall, and afterwards take our minds off things with a nice fly. Or swim. Or something else." She wiggled her eyebrows at Pomona. Now Pomona laughed too. 

"You're impossible!" she said. "But also very right, let's do it."   
  
After breakfast, they grabbed their brooms and took the shortest route to the waterfall. Pomona wanted to get this over with, and as soon as they sat down she started talking. Will held up a hand. "Can I go first?" she asked. 

Pomona blushed. "Sorry, yes. Go on." Will smiled at her, and put a hand on her leg. 

"I just thought I should know what my options were." Will said. "So I talked to some people, and I could stay here and work for real. It wouldn't be a fancy job like yours," she winked at Pomona, "but I wouldn't like that anyway. Looking after the animals is what I like, and there is a position open for a level two carer - that means you're looking after the more complicated animals and doing basic training." She added, seeing Pomona's blank look. "It's a little bit better than the standard entry-level jobs for someone with my schooling, and a lot better than mucking out stables." Pomona looked at her. 

"You want to take it." she said. Will nodded. 

"It's what I love doing. Same goes for you. It should be simple, shouldn't it?"   
  
Yes, it should. "So you want to try long-distance, or-" Pomona didn't finish her sentence, and she didn't need to. Will hugged her close. 

"That's the other thing I was looking into." she said. "It won't be like this, of course. But even though we would be on different sides of the pond, the distance isn't that big if you have magic. You know how easily we hopped over for Christmas, and I asked Professor Dourado how often we would be able to do that. I think she knows we're together, because she was the kindest I've ever seen her." She made a funny face. "Scary lady, don't tell her I said that. But anyway, we should be able to see each other almost every weekend, if we want to." 

Pomona breathed deeply, trying to imagine that. It would be hard, but if they could see each other every weekend... "That wouldn't be so bad." she sighed. She stroked Will's hair, creating a mess that Will didn't seem to mind at all. 

"It's nice when you do that, you know." she muttered. "Feels soothing." Pomona pressed a kiss on her head. 

"Good, because it's nice to do. Feels soothing." she said. "I am going to miss seeing you every day." 

"Hmm, me too."    
  
Pomona swallowed. "I feel guilty." she said. "I love you, and yet I'm thinking of moving to the other side of the world. What kind of girlfriend does that make me?" 

Will kissed her. "One that cares about her own happiness too." she said. "You're made for teaching. I'm made for - well, apparently for potty training fire penguins. If you stayed here just so I can have my dream job,  _ I _ would feel guilty." 

"I know." Pomona sighed. "I just hate that there is no easy solution. They don't tell you that in school, that there might be reasons to not want your dream job." At that moment she was hit in the head with a pile of leaves, and she shook her fist at the tree above her. 

"We were having a moment, thanks!" she called out. "I know you're there." She could swear she heard giggling, and sighed. "I'm almost looking forward to Peeves again." she sighed to a giggling Will. "At least he's usually decent to teachers." She rolled her eyes. "Have I told you I love you recently?" she asked, returning her full attention to Will. 

"Maybe once or twice, but feel free to reinforce the idea." Will said. Pomona laughed, and leaned in to kiss her. 

"Well, I love you." 

"I love you too."    
  



	16. Farewells and beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: short sex scene.

Few plants are as wonderful and special as the Clemurin ( _Magis longifolia_ ). It is the only known species in its genus and family, and grows at places that are deeply penetrated with magic, like old wizarding settlements. If you find the Clemurin, you can be sure the location has a history that's intertwined with magic. The plant itself is beautiful in its simplicity, with a single leaf and five-petaled light pink flower per plant. Very rarely, mutations with twin flowers occur. Its flower is very strong and will keep blooming for a few weeks, after which the single seed is formed and ripens in a matter of days. After the seed is ripe the parent plant will die, serving as fertilizer for its offspring. Even though each plant only produces one seed almost all seeds will survive to become a new adult Clemurin, so the species doesn't go extinct. The plants grow up to twenty centimeters tall, with the flowers about a centimeter and a half in diameter. The pale pink flowers almost seem to glow in the shadows, and the plant resists touch. This ensures its survival, since it is almost completely shielded from getting eaten or stepped on. The only way to procure a specimen for study in a greenhouse is to wait for the seed to ripen, and let it fall on a plate or bag when it drops from the plant. This way it can be transported to a pot, where it will grow just as well as it does in the wild as long as it's growing in a magical household or greenhouse. However, it is protected by the Brazilian Ministry of Magic, so anybody who is found collecting without a permit is subject to heavy fines. A gift of a Clemurin is considered one of the highest honors, and if well-looked after it will be practically immortal since it will grow again from the seed every time the parent plant dies.   
\- Excerpt from _Herbologia_ by Santori (English translation by James McGriffin)  


* * *

  
The time it took to get everything sorted was mercifully long. Will accepted her job offer and could start almost immediately, but Pomona's contract would start in the new school year. She breathed a sigh of relief when she read the letter from Professor Beery. There would be plenty of time to finish writing her articles and tie all the loose ends together, and months to enjoy with Will before she left for cold Scotland. Since Will was now no longer a guest at Castelobruxo, they used the next weekend to move all of their stuff to the staff rooms on the other side of the floor. Her new room was large enough for the two of them, with a bedroom and sitting area. Pomona had worried a little about moving in so openly, but nobody batted an eye that they slept in the same room. The only comment came from Leanodro, who visited after they had ordered everything to congratulate Will on her official position. 

"Not that your work will change that much, but you deserve to be paid for it. And having a staff room has some perks, hasn't it?" He winked at Pomona, who laughed. 

"We'll put it to good use." she promised.   
  
And so Pomona felt like her world had turned upside down, but not much had changed. She went to the library and started a new project with the International Herbology Guild for the few months she had before the summer holidays started, wrote regular letters with Professor Beery and Minerva, who was thrilled she was going to get Pomona as a colleague, and submitted her last article in March. Will grumbled about misbehaved animals and silly students, but Pomona knew she really enjoyed having more responsibilities and some of the more fun jobs. Things between them were a little strained, until they both got used to the idea of Pomona leaving but also realised she wasn't just going to be gone all of a sudden. There was plenty of time. So much time, that Pomona pushed the idea of leaving to the back of her mind and just enjoyed what she had right here and now. Hogwarts seemed like a far away dream, when she was here with Will in her arms.   
  
The months went on in a slur of wonderful routine, and Pomona enjoyed it so much she started to question her decision to go to Hogwarts. The school year ended, and the castle was once more the domain of teachers and researchers. Unlike the Christmas holidays, when they too took time off, most people stayed. Classrooms were deep cleaned, and the Magibotany department asked for Pomona's help with repotting plants and reorganizing the entire teaching greenhouse. Projects of the previous year were transplanted to more permanent homes, set free in the gardens or disposed of. She had no idea which students had worked on what, but all she knew the project to breed a cross between Fanged geraniums and some sort of passion flower had worked a little too well. It took three of them an entire morning to tame, and she even asked Will to help.    
  
The day before she was leaving, Pomona and Will walked around the campus one last time. From the Magizoology Department to the Menagerie, endless courtyards and the teaching greenhouses, everything felt familiar now. The grounds were quiet, save for the always-present sounds of birds and other animals. 

"It feels like a completely different place without the students." Will muttered. "Peaceful. Now I know why some of the staff complained about us coming back, although they said it jokingly." 

"Hmmm..." Pomona answered non committedly. They walked through an archway into the more organized part of the gardens. "I'm going to miss this. Just walking outside with you and the sun on my arms, will you think of me when I'm freezing my toes off during the Scottish winter?" 

Will chuckled, and Pomona stuck out her tongue. 

"Race you to the rose garden?" she asked. 

Will took off immediately, and Pomona had to hike up her robes to follow her.   
  
After lunch Will had to go back to work, and Pomona walked to the main greenhouse of Castelobruxo. Most of her stuff was packed, but she still needed to get her tent. She stopped by the coatroom, and changed into the blue robes of the International Herbology Guild. She wouldn't be doing much actual work today, but rules were rules. People greeted her as she walked past them, into the storage room in the back. There stood her trusty little tent, even fuller now that livability had a lower priority. She entered, and looked around. Something was missing, but she knew where to look for it. As she walked to the desert part of the greenhouse, one of her colleagues laughed at her. 

"Looking for the little bugger?" 

Pomona grinned back. "As always."   
  
In the shade of a Palo Verde tree, Bruce was standing next to a patch of turned over sand. A little sign stood beside him: ' _ Cylindropuntia exsulto _ , Arizona. Coll. Pomona Sprout, 1949'. Pomona smiled. 

"Are you coming?" she asked. "The people here will look after those seeds for us." 

Bruce swayed a little, as though he gave the soil where the seeds were buried one last look. Then he started to hop in the direction of the tent, and Pomona followed him.   
  
When she went back to the coatroom after she'd bagged her tent, she wanted to leave her robes behind. But the head of the institute was waiting for her, and when she went to hang the robes on the rack he stopped her. 

"Keep them." he said. "As a reminder of your journey and work here. Have you ever thought of entering the Guild?" Pomona stared at him. If he meant what she thought he meant, this was a huge offer. Maybe even bigger than the one she had gotten from Professor Beery. 

"I would like to do so one day, sir." she answered politely. 

"Fill in an application before you leave, we'd be honored to have you." Pomona could barely believe it, and smiled at him. 

"Thank you sir, I will." 

"Very good. I loved your latest publication. Have a good journey to Scotland, and I'll look forward to hearing from you again."   
  
Pomona almost skipped back to Will's room, where she pitched the tent again to put her other belongings in it. It felt a little like she was back at school, packing her bags at the end of term. Luckily Will's new room had enough space for her tent, in their guest rooms they hadn't been able to put the tent up without blocking the door. When she had put everything she wouldn't need for this last night away, she went to find her girlfriend.   
  
The sun shone in through the windows of the menagerie, lighting the corner with the work benches. Leanodro and Will weren't working though, they were sitting on one of the benches with their legs dangling to the side. When Will saw Pomona, she jumped up. 

"Do you have everything?" 

Pomona nodded. Leanodro stood up too, and gave Pomona a gigantic hug.  "I'll miss you, dear. Come visit often, okay?" 

Pomona grinned, and Will smiled too. "Don't worry, I'll make her." she promised. 

Pomona shook Leandro's hand. "Thank you for looking after her" she said softly. 

"Always." he answered. 

Will was waiting for her, and took Pomona's hand. They walked through the Menagerie, back to Will's room.   
  
That evening, they had a nice little private dinner that Will had organized. 

"Just to do this properly, for once." she said. "I can't really take you out on a date to a restaurant here, but I thought dinner for two would be nice." 

The room was lit by the sun from the large window, but Will still lighted some candles. 

"It's really nice." Pomona said. "I got you something, by the way." She dashed to the bag that was lying on the floor on her side of the bed. Will accepted the little package, weighing it in her hand. 

"A book?" she asked. Pomona just smiled. 

"Open it." 

Will cut the string with her wand, too impatient to undo the knot. She unfolded the paper, and looked at the contents. On the table lay two neat notebooks, with the logo of the Hogwarts Herbology Club on the front. Will looked puzzled, until she realized what they were. 

"These are the paired notebooks, aren't they?" Pomona nodded. 

"Remember a few weeks back, when I went to Hogwarts to 'sign paperwork'?" She made air quotes with her hands. 

"I'm guessing you didn't actually need to sign paperwork?" 

"Well, I did, but I could have done that by owl. I just wanted to get these, and have Minerva look over the Protean charm to make sure it would work over such a long distance." 

Will put the notebooks down, and kissed her. After a few minutes, she said "That's really nice, I was wondering about how quickly those poor owls or the people regulating international post would get tired of our letters." 

Pomona grinned. "You were not the only one."   
  
They spread dinner out over the evening, wanting their last night together to last as long as possible. Making out got more and more heated as the food and wine got to them, until they discarded their robes altogether. Pomona fumbled for her wand, and quickly locked the door. The awaited click didn't happen, and Will took her wand out of her hand and put it to the side. 

"Already thought of that." she breathed. "Now come here." She pulled Pomona onto the sofa, but with a little too much force. 

"Oof!" said Pomona, as she fell on top of Will.    
  
Even after all these months, this never failed to amaze Pomona. Nobody had ever told her there was such a fine line between making out and sex, and on days like this when they had the time they could walk that line for what felt like hours. Kissing, gasping for more as hands touched breasts and areas Pomona had never thought of as sensual before meeting Will. A hand on the dip of her waist was enough to make her lean in closer, trying to make her body line up perfectly with Will's so she could feel their skin touching everywhere. The couch creaked, but they had silenced that long ago and now it only swayed slightly with their movement as hands slowly went lower.   
  
Pomona put a hand on Will's boxers, pulling up the fabric teasingly. Will broke their kiss. 

"Let's go to the bed." she said softly, and tried to sit up. 

They got up with some difficulty, and made their clumsy way to the bedroom. On the bed they rid each other of the few remaining pieces of clothing, throwing them on the floor for later. Then they were kissing again, a little deeper and a little faster as Pomona felt desire well up in her chest. She moaned in disappointment when Will let her lips go, but then shifted her hips as Will's kisses travelled lower and lower until her tongue found her clit. She wanted to move, bring herself closer, but Will put a hand on her stomach and held her down gently. There was nothing she could do, except look down at the wonderful head of messy brown hair and feel the pleasure building, throbbing until the wave of orgasm came over her. Will didn't stop until Pomona came to a rest and relaxed her legs. Will pulled her hair out of her face, and crept up to embrace her. She nuzzled Pomona's shoulder, kissing her neck. 

"I love you." she whispered.   
  
The sun was already peeking along the curtains when Pomona woke up the next morning, with Will spread out half on top of her. She wormed herself free, and wove her wand to see the time. Nine o'clock, not quite late but time to get up nonetheless. She wrapped her arms around Will and kissed her, then started tickling her sides when the other witch wouldn't wake up. 

"Mmmhm, go away..." she muttered, and Pomona chuckled. 

"I am." she said, feeling a little sad. "So get up and help me clean this mess, and then give me a proper goodbye." 

Will sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Ugh, what time is it?" she asked. 

"Nine. Well, a little after now." Pomona answered. "We have time enough for breakfast, but if we want to have it in the Hall we need to get going." 

"Luckily it's a Saturday." Will muttered as she stepped out of bed and started looking for her robes. Their clothes were spread all over the rooms, and Pomona walked through as she sorted things to put on, things to take with her and things to keep here. She wouldn't need some of her thinnest robes in Scotland, and if she hung them in Will's closed she wouldn't have to lug them around with her every time she came for a visit.   
  
The Hall was almost empty when they arrived, but they was still plenty of food. After a quick meal, they got Pomona's bag and walked up the castle. Before going to Professor Dourado's office, Will led them onto one of the terraces. They stood at the edge, and looked out over the jungle. A quick look told Pomona they were completely alone, and she wrapped her fingers around Will's. Will put her head on Pomona's shoulder, and they stood in silence. A Rainbow macaw flew by right in front of them, and Pomona watched it disappear around the corner of the building. She knew this would be the real goodbye, and turned towards Will for a long kiss. When they finally broke apart, Pomona saw a tear in Will's eye. She wiped it away, and hugged her close. 

"I love you." she told Will. Now her eyes were burning too, and she pinched them shut so she wouldn't cry. 

"I love you too." Will said. Then she moved her arm, and looked at her watch. "We should go." Pomona let go, but kept holding Will's hand. 

"This isn't going to get any easier, I'm afraid." she said. "So let's just get it over with."    
  
They went back inside, and up the few last staircases to the highest floor. The door opened automatically when Pomona knocked, and Professor Dourado was waiting for them. 

"Right on time, very well." she said, and handed Pomona a small wooden box. "This will take you to Hogwarts, and give you something small to remember us by." Pomona shifted her bags to her other arm, and accepted it. 

"Thank you, and thank you for letting me stay. I very much appreciated it." Professor Dourado smiled. 

"You are welcome, and I believe we will see each other again soon." 

"I will definitely try that." Pomona promised, more to Will than to Professor Dourado. She gave Will one last hug, shorter than she would have done if they were alone but maybe it was better this way. She didn't know if she would have been able to let go if she didn't feel Professor Dourado's blazing eyes on her back and the slight vibration of the nearly-leaving Portkey. 

"Take care of yourself." Will said, when they let go. 

"I will, the same goes for you. I'll write to you soon." Will smiled at her, and that was the last thing Pomona saw before she was sucked up into space and wrung through time.   
  
She arrived in Professor Dippet's office, and no doubt exchanged some pleasantries before walking outside. But she didn't remember it, as she blindly walked all the way down from his tower to the front doors, and onto the grounds. In comparison to the ones she had just left, the Hogwarts grounds felt somber. The jungle around Castelobruxo literally screamed with life, and here all she heard was the tittering of small birds and the swishing of leaves in the wind. The sun was shining, but failed to warm the skin that was used to the blazing heat of Brazil. She walked out the front gates, towards Hogsmeade. She hadn't made permanent arrangements yet, but to her mum's horror she planned to pitch her tent in the hills around Hogsmeade. It would be close to work, and she didn't want to move back in with her parents. When frost hit the ground she might reconsider, but she was actually looking forward to sleeping in her tent again. It would take some reorganizing and getting used to, but that would help to take her mind of things. Tomorrow she could visit her parents, and on Monday she would start her job at Hogwarts.   
  
She could have apparated, but Pomona enjoyed the walk through the Hogsmeade. It was afternoon here, and the streets were filled with families enjoying their last week of vacation. Now that she was moving Pomona warmed up a little, and it felt like a nice summer day to her too. When the shops stopped and the houses started, she found a path between two cottages and followed it to the perimeter of the village. She breathed in the air, and looked around. Sometimes Hogsmeade felt more like her home than the town she had grown up in, because of all the weekends spent here while she was in school. She knew every street and shop, and had walked this path dozens of times before. She knew exactly where she was going: a meadow at the foot of the hills that surrounded Hogwarts in all directions. If she followed the path further up she knew she would be able to see Hogwarts again, but for now it was hidden behind the trees.   
  
Pitching her tent was a quick job, that she could do without really thinking. She didn't need any extensive charmwork here, since there were no Muggles, but she put up a simple barrier spell and ward anyway. If this was going to be her home for the foreseeable future, she wanted to feel safe there. When she went inside she was immediately greeted by Bruce, who hopped out of his pot and maneuvered his way around the bags she had just put in the middle of the floor to carefully poke her leg. She grabbed the oven mitt from the couch, and patted him back. "Just you and me again, buddy." she told him, and tried to move around without falling over a large potted Shrivelfig (finding plants she had worked with at school in the wild was always a fun surprise). She couldn't wait to stall some of her plants in the Hogwarts greenhouses when she was set up there, since her tent really was a bit too full to serve as a house right now. But all the plants from previous or current research projects could move there as part of her apprenticeship, and she had plenty of space for her personal collection. She pointed her wand at the little old radio Will had left her, and put on some music while she unpacked her bags.   
  
As she started to fold her bag to put it away, her hand fell upon a bobble in the side pocket. She opened it, and found the box that had been her Portkey. What could it be? She put it on the table as she put the bag in her closet, and then came back to it. There were no markings on the outside, nothing that gave any indication of what it could be. There was no latch, but it opened obediently when she touched it with her wand. As she folded away the fabric that had protected whatever-it-was from being rattled during the journey, she gasped. She would recognize that seed anywhere, having looked at the Clemurin painting in the cloak room of the main greenhouse of Castelobruxo thousands of times. It was put in a flat wooden bowl with a spout and a handle, clearly made to catch the seeds as they fell of the plant and redirect them to a pot in a greenhouse. It was the size of a grain of wheat, dark brown with a rose gold shine to it. Pomona carefully pushed it a little farther from the edge of the table, and looked around for an empty pot. Of course she didn't have one, and definitely not one worthy of such a precious gift. She rummaged around for her money bag, and walked back to the village.   
  
When Pomona got back, her watch told her it was time for dinner. She didn't really feel hungry yet, but nevertheless made some soup, all with the little box with the Clemurin seed staring at her from the table. Finally she filled her new pot with potting soil, and lifted the bowl up. A piece of parchment beneath it told her what she already knew, to let the seed roll onto the earth and lightly water once a day. It also explained the bowl could be expanded with a tap of a wand, to create a larger surface for catching the seeds as they fell off the plant. She aimed the spout at the middle of her pot, and tilted it so the seed rolled onto the earth. Then she tried to touch it, and felt the now-familiar push right before her finger hit the soil. She put it on the coffee table, and kept looking at it. When it got dark, and she was too lazy to light the bigger lamp in the middle of the room, she could see a faint light coming from the seed. She grabbed her notebook, and began to write to Will.


	17. Noteworthy

Scottish helleborealis ( _Helleborealis scotica_ ) is a species of Helleborealis that is widespread in the British isles, not just in Scotland. It, like all Helleborealis species, is highly toxic and can be used to create powerful poisons. Merely touching the plant causes skin irritation, so wearing protective gloves is always recommended when handling Helleborealis or the related genus _Helleborus_. Mixing extract of Helleborealis with its antidote not only counteracts the toxic properties, but gives the drinker powerful visual hallucinations. Addition of peppermint oil can help reduce motion sickness, since the antidote is not always strong enough to counter all nausea-inducing properties of the Helleborealis and the hallucinations can exacerbate this. The Scottish helleborealis in particular is said to be milder than many other species, making recreational use more attractive.  
\- Excerpt from _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore  


* * *

  
Pomona didn't sleep well, and she didn't think it was just the jetlag. Her bed felt huge and cold without Will. During the day she had kept herself busy, but at night she was alone with her thoughts and missed her girlfriend horribly. She almost regretted coming, and was glad when the Monday came around and she could go to Hogwarts. It was a week before the start of the school year, when all the teachers returned and started to prepare for another year. The apprentices didn't need to help with that, but it was also a great moment to get to know Hogwarts as a staff member before the chaos of the full student body returned.   
  
When she arrived at the gates, she immediately noticed that this was not like the summer holidays at Castelobruxo. In Brazil, there had still been easily a hundred people at the castle, more in the first and last week of the vacation. Here she only met the caretaker on her way to the staff room, although it was busy enough once she got inside. Professor Beery was waiting for her, and she gave a quick wave to Minerva in the corner before following him right back outside. They walked towards the greenhouses, and chatted amicably. He insisted she called him Herbert, "now that you're not a student anymore, and close enough to a Professor title yourself if you keep going like that." 

The greenhouses were tidier than she had ever seen them, as they walked to the research greenhouse. It was tucked away in a corner, and Pomona had only been there once before. Now they went inside, barely able to pass one another between the work benches on the sides and needing to stoop to walk through the door. 

"It's not much." Herbert said apologetically. "But you can use it for whatever you want, you're the only Herbology apprentice and I assume it will stay like that for the foreseeable future."    
  
They stepped out of it again, and went into his office. There they spent a very pleasant morning discussing Pomona's previous and current projects, and new things she would like to tackle. After lunch she helped Herbert repot some of the plants he didn't trust his students with, and there was little time for small-talk. The Venomous Tentacula tried its best to bite them, and it was only with teamwork and a quick Impedimenta from Pomona that they could get it into it's new pot. By the end they were both puffing, and sat down on one of the tables. Herbert wiped his forehead with his handkerchief. 

"Thank goodness that's done, it seems to get more and more difficult every year. A few years ago I let my NEWT-students repot it, but with how irritable it has been lately I haven't thought it safe." 

"Have you tried giving it a little less light?" Pomona asked. 

"Less light, more light, less fertilizer, more fertilizer... I've tried a lot of different things, but it doesn't seem to change a thing." He shrugged. "Then can be like that when they get older." 

Pomona nodded, thinking about what they had done with some of the more pesky plants at Castelobruxo. "Hmmm, have you tried mixing in some lavender with the fertilizer? That worked with some of the Tentacula we had at Castelobruxo." 

He looked at her. "Lavender, huh? No, I haven't tried that. But let me see..." He stood up, and walked outside to the herb garden. He rummaged around a little. "The flowers, I assume?" he asked Pomona, who had followed him. 

"If you can, although the leaves worked too." she answered. He hummed in acknowledgement, and bend over the bush. 

"Yes, that should do... Good thing we didn't add the fertilizer yet." They went back to the greenhouse, taking a scoop of dragon dung and mixing the crushed flower heads in with it. It took some more sweating, but they got it all around the stems, and when they leaned back the plant seemed to relax a little too.   
  
Herbert also enthusiastically helped her to move her plants, when she brought her tent to work the next day. The research greenhouse was filling up quickly, and Pomona got into the swing of things. When the school year started, she worked on her own projects during class hours. After that she helped Herbert with maintaining the school collections, and discussed recent articles and books she read with him. It was similar to but a lot more structured than her time in the field and at Castelobruxo. The apprentices didn't eat breakfast and dinner in the Great Hall, but they did eat lunch with the rest of the school and usually chatted after that. Pomona enjoyed seeing Minerva so much, and they often sat down to read their articles and books together. It reminded her of studying in the library with Will, which made it a little bittersweet. When she was busy, it was easy to enjoy her work and not think about Will too much. But with Herbology there was a lot of practical work, when her mind wandered and almost always went to Brazil. She knew Will was having similar issues, they wrote each other several short notes during the day and usually had longer conversations when they got off work. She would need to send Will a new notebook soon if they didn't want to erase old writings.    
  
_ Hey, what are you doing? -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Just watering the plants, need to install the same automated spells as at Castelobruxo here. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ And yet you still write back almost immediately, missed me so much? -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Always. How are things there? Is that hippogriff feeling better? -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Barely even sniffling anymore. I miss you too, it's boring here without you. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Here too, the work is great but the evenings feel endless. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Wanna play a game? I can copy a crossword in here while you're asleep. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Sounds great, but don't pick the one from Magizoology Today. I didn't understand any of it last time. Love you! -P _ _   
_   
It was nice to be in the Scottish highlands again, and Pomona spent her free time hiking around Hogwarts and travelling to some of the populations of magical plants she read about. Minerva sometimes joined her, but the trips through rougher country Pomona did alone. She took her notebook with her, to write Will short notes, and sometimes a snippet about Will's explorations in the jungle appeared in between them. This way they could still explore together, but it wasn't the same. Luckily Will had a free weekend two weeks into the school year, and would come to Scotland. Pomona found herself counting the days, and asked Herbert for another Herbology Club notebook. He gave it with a smile, and told her to bring Will by the greenhouses so he could meet her. That made Pomona oddly nervous, but the thought that he knew or suspected about their relationship and didn't treat Pomona any different gave her hope. Maybe she could take Will to her parents during another weekend, but that was a bit too soon. A selfish little voice in the back of her head also said that she wanted to keep Will for herself this weekend, they only had so much time...   
  
Pomona was sitting on the floor of Herbert's office, the only place that wasn't a classroom with enough space to spread all her notes around. Herbert had asked her to make a guide to the magical flora of the Scottish highlands to use with his classes. He said he had heard rumours from the Wizarding Examinations Authority that they wanted to put a bigger focus on natural history and fieldwork in both Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Maybe Newt Scamander's lobbying was finally getting heard, but either way Pomona enjoyed the little job. It meant field trips and making notes, but also distilling those notes in such a way that she could pull a teaching method out of it. She whistled as she worked, looking for messages from Will every once in a while. It seemed Will was doing research too, because she answered quickly.

_ What time will you be here? -P _   
_   
_ _ Something came up, I'll probably have to work until the end of classes on Friday. Trying to change schedules, I'll let you know if it works. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ That sucks, but it'll work out. Love you, can't wait. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Love you too. Does this thing work with pictures? -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ No idea, just try it. What do you want to show me? -P _ _   
_ _   
_ No words appeared for a while, and then Pomona saw it: a silly picture of Will feeding an injured clabbert. The Will in the picture looked up, and waved at whoever took the picture. Then she looked straight in the lens, and blew Pomona a kiss. Scribbled words appeared.   
  
_ I got Leanodro to take it, thought you might like it. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ I love it, I'll take it out and put it up somewhere if you don't mind. I've been getting complaints about being secretive. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ I don't know what you're talking about, talking to you is as easy as talking to a brick wall. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ Pomona rolled her eyes, but before she could write back Will added another sentence.   
  
_ About stuff like this, I mean. You just hide it well.  _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Yeah, I know. Minerva said pretty much the same thing yesterday. And maybe a couple of times before that… -P _ _   
_   
She could almost see Will shrug, probably sat to the side of the common room in the Magizoology Department at Castelobruxo, notebook in her lap and bottle of ink on the table.   
  
_ So far things haven't gone that badly though, have they? Not that I'm one to give much advice on this. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Yeah, it's been fine. I probably just need to channel my inner Gryffindor. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ That, I would like to see. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ You can, this weekend. Herbert and Minerva both want to meet you. So does my mum, but I don't think I'm quite ready for that. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Oof, no. I'm curious about Herbert though, you talk to him like he's about as important to you as Leanodro to me. Minerva - _ _   
_ _   
_ _ She said something about not having been too kind to you, or something. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Whatever, it doesn't really matter. I just thought she was pretty haughty. But Hogwarts is a long time ago. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Yeah it is. It feels so weird to be back here, the students seem tiny. Moreso than at Castelobruxo, but of course they all were a year older than our firsties. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Still tiny. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ Pomona snorted.

  
_ I know. I can't wait to teach them for real, they are so fun. Herbert had me help with a practical lesson last week and it was really cool. I gotta go though, my notes are spread all over a classroom and the fifth-years will be here in half an hour. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Okay, talk to you later, love you. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Love you. -P _ _   
_   
When it was finally Friday, Pomona had a hard time concentrating on her work. Her discussion with Herbert went as well as she could hope for, he had very little to add to her set-up for the book. After that she needed to read the most recent Herbology Magazine, and that didn't go nearly as smoothly. In the end she just put it aside, and went to check on the newly made cuttings. The NEWT-classes were working hard, but she didn't have a lot of faith in their current project. There wasn't too much she could do about it, but she still wanted to figure out why all their Snarfalumps were wilting. It wasn't like they were that hard to care for.   
  
She heard footsteps in the corridor, and walked out of the classroom. But it was just Herbert, and he must have seen the disappointment in her face. 

"It's just three, Pomona. She'll be here soon. What were you doing in there anyway?" 

She walked back to the Snarfalump cuttings, and he followed her. He frowned. 

"They look even worse than they did this morning." 

"I know, I'm trying to figure out why. I never tried to propagate Snarfalumps, but it's not that different from a Octaliflower, right?" 

"No, I've done it before in class without any trouble. It's not a part of the standard curriculum, but we could use some extra specimens as potions ingredients." 

Pomona looked closely at the earth, and poked the surroundings of the cuttings with her finger. They half-heartedly moved, then fell silent. "Can I dig one of them up?" she asked Herbert. "I don't want to mess with their project too much, but could it be some sort of parasite or disease?" He thought about it for a little while. 

"The only thing they really get is tentacle rot, and that usually only affects them when they're bigger..."   
  
"Tentacle rot? I've come at the right moment." said a familiar voice from behind. Pomona looked up so quickly she pulled a muscle in her neck, and hurried to the door.

"Will!" 

Will pulled her into her arms, and a quick glance told Pomona that Herbert was pretending to study the Snarfalumps with great interest. She kissed Will, relaxing and breathing in her scent. She smelled like hay and sunshine, and Pomona wanted to just stand there for the rest of the afternoon. Then they broke apart, and she hesitantly pulled Will into the greenhouse. 

"Herbert, this is Will." He beamed at them, and shook Will's hand. 

"Good to see you again! Pomona has told me a lot about you. You've changed a lot." 

She smiled back, straightening her back and shoulders a little. 

"It's nice to see you too, Professor." 

"Oh, call me Herbert! I'm not your professor anymore. Do you ladies want some tea, or are you going?" 

Pomona and Will looked at each other. They hadn't dared to talk about their plans too much, afraid that doing so would jinx this trip. 

"We can go for a cuppa." Will said. "Just one though, then Pomona promised me we could walk around the grounds and go to her home."   
  
They never came around to walking the grounds, by the time they were done talking to Herbert both Pomona and Will were ready for some privacy. They made it as far as the gates, and then Pomona apparated them straight to the clearing her tent was in. As soon as they were properly landed and Will saw they were alone, she latched onto Pomona and kissed her eagerly. It felt like no time had passed, like she had said goodbye to Will only yesterday. The birds in the trees were singing, and it was a sunny day. After what felt like hours, she pulled away from Will and led her inside. Will immediately sank down on the sofa, and grinned. 

"This feels just like old times!" she said. "How far from Hogwarts are we?"   
Pomona put her bag down, and walked towards the kitchen to put the kettle on. "Not far, just ten minutes outside of Hogsmeade. I wanted to be close enough to ensure no Muggles got here, but also off the beaten track." 

"Well, looks like you found it. And the tent looks nice, you've really cleaned it up." 

Pomona grinned, knowing that the last time Will had seen the tent it had been filled with a ton of half-finished projects and not a lot of living. She sat down too. 

“Thanks. My mum is shocked I still live in here, but it's as good as any apartment I would be able to afford. I'd rather save that money for more travelling.” 

Will cuddled closer, and put her head on Pomona's shoulder. Pomona wrapped an arm around her. 

"I love you." she said softly. "I'm really happy you're here."   
  
The weekend was over before they knew it, and on Sunday evening they walked back to Hogwarts. It was already getting dark, and the streets of Hogsmeade were almost empty. Pomona had been careful when they were walking through the main street, but now that they had passed the busiest part of the village they were walking hand in hand on the middle of the road. She wanted to stretch this moment as much as possible, because every second spent walking here meant a second more with Will. Will appeared to be thinking along the same lines, and they slowly walked without making much progress.   
  
"Thanks for coming." Pomona said. Will grinned, and muttered something unintelligible about 'yesterday evening' before giving Pomona one of her dopy grins. 

"I liked it too, I'm going to miss you." 

"Just two more weeks." Pomona promised. "Then it'll be my turn to make the big journey." Will rolled her eyes. 

"It's not that far, really. Just a hassle to organize." 

"I know, I know. Can you imagine if we were Muggles though? It would be nigh impossible to see each other." Will shrugged. 

"We probably wouldn't have met anyway." she said, carelessly giving Pomona a quick kiss on her cheek. "But you're right, we're lucky."    
  
At long last, they had reached the entrance gates of Hogwarts. Will stared at the statutes of the boars, that Pomona didn't even notice anymore. 

"Of all the animals they could have used..." she mused. "That's like this guy at my work, who only looks at magical beetles. I mean, there's a lot of biodiversity there and somebody has to do it, but come on. Beetles!" 

Pomona couldn't help but laugh. "You'd rather tame a dragon, don't you?" 

"Dragons are cool." Will affirmed. "But so are, well, pretty much all other things I work with. And even some of his beetles. But most of them are just -" She looked at Pomona, who was laughing at her. "Oh, shut up." she said playfully. "I know what kinds of extremely exciting things you find, you made your notes in our notebook instead of your own once. Enthralling stuff." 

"I told you, I just mixed them up. And lichens aren't boring, that one looked like a map. I just don't know what of, or at what scale." Now it was Will's turn to laugh. 

"I know, I just think it's cute how invested you get in something most people wouldn't even notice. It's very attractive."   
  
They passed the greenhouses, and walked into the castle. It was just before curfew, and they passed a few little groups of students in the hallways. Pomona recognised some of them now, and nodded at them in greeting. If they were curious about her companion, they didn't ask and she was glad about that. It was one thing she had reluctantly put up some pictures of Will next to her notes on the pin-up board in her little research greenhouse, but another to openly discuss their relationship. They had both let go of the other's hand as soon as they crossed the threshold, as in an unspoken agreement. It was better this way, to say their goodbyes in an empty classroom and walk up to the Headmaster's office together, but separate. Pomona thought she saw Professor Dumbledore look at them from the other end of a corridor, but when she looked again he was gone.    
  
_ Miss you already. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Me too, my room feels empty. At least I made it back right in time for dinner. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ We just ate! -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Yes, but you know what Sunday night dinners are like here. Are you back in your tent yet? -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Stopped by the greenhouses on my way there, so I'm still at Hogwarts. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Workaholic. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ I'm hardly working right now, just wanted to check on some plants since I walked by them anyway. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Gotta go. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Sorry, got told off about writing you during dinner. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Whoever it was is right, that's rude. Glad you're back, but I think I'm going to sleep soon. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ We'll talk later then, sweet dreams! -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _   
_ _ Good morning love, did you sleep well? The sun is shining here, and I just found a really cool plant (Helleborealis, look it up). -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Merlin's beard, how early did you get up? And I slept okay, not as good as I would with you in my bed though. ;) -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ You wouldn't sleep with me in your bed. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ And people think you're so sweet and shy. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Anyway, sounds like your day is going better than mine. Ants escaped again, and Pembleton yelled at the entire department. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Aw, that sucks! Hope everything's okay over there. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ It is, he just got his knickers in his twist because he accidentally sat on one of the ants. Their sting is quite impressive, as was his scream according to Leanodro. It's not my fault anyway, so I won't get in trouble. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ You made me snort and I think I scared Bruce. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Good, that cactus is getting way too cocky. You spoil him. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Maybe. But bad things happen when he's upset. You don't want to see the kind of chaos my plants can get up to when they want to. It's almost as bad as Greenhouse 7. Someone set off a dungbomb in the greenhouses last week, and you'd think plants like that. Nope. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Hahaha _ _   
_ _ Now I'm almost sad I don't meet a lot of students. I miss the pranks. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ I know, Herbert gave them detention but he laughed his head off as soon as the class left. Anyway, time to go to work. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ On a Saturday afternoon? -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Full moon tonight, special project. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Have fun, love you. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Love you. -P _ __   



	18. Sometimes it's a lot

Scorpion grass ( _Myosotis scorpioides_ , _Myosotis palustris_ in Muggle literature) is not, in fact, a grass, but a little blue flower of the genus that's known as forget-me-not. It is the only magical species of the genus, used in wit-sharpening and love potions. In the first, it is mixed with scorpion's venom, but whether this is the source for the name is debatable (the Muggles say it's because of the shape of its inflorescence). It is common and widespread in Britain, but flowers that are to be used in potions need to be harvested when the moon is in the first quarter on a cloudless night. They are strongest when used fresh, leading to many a potion-brewing night-time frenzy in wizarding households until the invention of Argagal's Preservation Potion, which dries out any organic matter without loss of magical power.  
\- Excerpt from _Elemental Lunar Magic_ by Meredith Lupin  


* * *

  
As the months passed, being away from Will got harder and easier. They both got used to the weekends spent together and the lonely weeks in between, and while saying goodbye didn’t get any easier the knowledge they would see each other again soon helped a little. Christmas came and went, and while Pomona did spend New Year's with Will at Castelobruxo again she still hadn't brought her home to meet her parents. Her work was thrilling though, and her six month's evaluation came as a surprise. Had it really been that long already? She had finished the book for Herbert's field lessons, and he liked it so much he convinced her to actually send it to a publisher. Then it was a flurry of activity and late-night writing sessions to get it ready in time, so it could be sold in Flourish and Blotts before the next school year. It was only March, but this got her thinking about the summer.   
_   
_ _ How much time off do you get in the summer? -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Whatever I want, probably about a month. You? -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Not quite that much, but I could play part of it off as a field trip for an article. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ I like the way you're thinking. Anything in particular this article needs to be about? -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Not really, just need one more topic for my Mastery. -P _ _   
_ _   
_ _ I was asking where you want to go. -W _ _   
_ _   
_ _ Oh sorry. I was thinking about Chile, cloud forests. Any interesting beasts there? -P _

_ Let me check, I’ll get back to you about that. But it sounds great! Maybe we could go there, and then somewhere more sunny with possibilities for swimming for a couple of days after? -W _   
  
Planning the trip kept them busy for the next two weeks, and Pomona often found a fragment out of some field guide or a map filled with crosses when she opened her notebook. Herbert helped her to narrow the destination down, and when she travelled to Brazil that weekend she felt like she had a solid plan. Will easily agreed, and pulled Pomona away from her books.

“Come on, we have plenty of time for that later! I found a new waterfall last week, let’s go check it out!”

The waterfall proved to house some spectacular Travelling Ferns, but Pomona only gave herself fifteen minutes to sketch them. Then she joined Will, who had taken off her clothes and dipped her toes in the pool below the waterfall. She quickly stripped off her robes, and let herself be pulled into the water. They wrestled for a while, and then swam to the other shore and lay down on a big rock.

“This is just what I needed.” Will said. “I missed you.”

Pomona grabbed her hand. “I missed you too. Writing’s nice, but it’s not the same.”   
Will looked at her. “Sometimes I wonder, you know. If we did the right thing. But then I see you again, and hear how happy you are at Hogwarts.” She gave Pomona a quick kiss. “It’s not easy, but I think it’s worth it.”

Pomona smiled at her, and cuddled closer. “I agree.” she said.    
  
March and April were the wettest Pomona had ever seen in Scotland, and she needed to move her tent to higher grounds to avoid the soaked valley. She applied extra water-repelling charms to the area, ones she hadn't needed to use since she came back from the rainforest. Her plants were flourishing though, even the ones inside seemed to feel the moist air every time she opened her tent. At least it wasn't cold in there, and she had artificial sunlight charms going. Coming home felt like stepping into a sunlit garden, where she could take off her heavy cloak and lounge on the sofa. Will agreed when she came over, and refused to spend more than an hour outside. Pomona didn’t mind, there was plenty to do in her tent… Cuddling quickly escalated, and she loved every second of it. And work was busy but good, as she wrote her mother. A standard Mastery was two years, but Herbert said he would accept some of the papers she had written before coming to Hogwarts too. That meant she only had a few more months to go, before she could start teaching some of the lessons and learn the finer points of that profession. It was something she was eagerly looking forward to, she loved her plants but the students brought a liveliness to the greenhouses that the research greenhouses at Castelobruxo had missed.   
  


On the tenth of May, Pomona walked briskly to Headmaster Dippet's office. It was just after dinner, so she should arrive at Castelobruxo at the end of Will's workday. Professor Dippet welcomed her with a wide smile. 

"Going back to the sunny jungle?" 

"Well, it's not shining here so I have to chase the sun, Professor." she joked. He laughed. 

"Well, have fun then. It's ready whenever you are." He handed her a token, and as soon as she accepted it Professor Dippet waved his wand and his office disappeared. 

Professor Dourado's office was empty, but Pomona knew her way. She put her cloak in her bag, rolled her shoulders and let the heat wash over her. She walked out onto the first big terrace, looking over the jungle. Somewhere down there Will was waiting for her. But she could wait for a moment longer, as Pomona breathed in the colors and scents of the rainforest.  
  
She heard some kind of animal roaring in the distance, the sound almost lost in the chatter of the rainforest. Whenever she got here, it all seemed so loud in comparison to Hogwarts. And the students were out of class too, adding their own noise to the orchestra of birds and monkeys. Some kind of Quidditch training was going on, as well as people standing around two brightly colored hippogriff-like creatures with parrot heads down in one of the courtyards. Students were sat on the terraces around and below her, and she was starting to get some weird looks. 

"Pull yourself together, Pomona." she muttered, and walked towards the South staircase.    
  
Will wasn't in the Menagerie when Pomona got there, but Leanodro was. He welcomed Pomona with open arms and an inquiring smile, and sent her towards the classrooms. 

"Class on Nifflers gone wrong." he sighed. "They've been trying to catch all of them for hours, and there are still three missing. Will started to talk about bait, you can go see if that has done her any good." 

Pomona hid her chuckle from the grumpy wizard, and made her way to the long corridor with Magizoology classrooms. She could hear Will before she saw her, and it made her heart swell. She carefully pried open the door, and quickly stepped inside. What she saw was a sight to behold. All the closest classrooms were a mess, cupboards open and their contents spread around the room. The desks and chairs were pushed aside, doors of classrooms were open, and she could hear Will yelling instructions to a small group of frazzled students. Then Will looked into the corridor, and saw Pomona. A smile spread over her face. She said something short in Portuguese to the students, and they hastily followed whatever instructions she had given them. Will walked towards Pomona with a wry smile. They hugged quickly, and sneaked a kiss.    
  
"I take back what I said about students." Will said softly with a look over her shoulder. "I'm starting to understand what it must've felt like when they let loose that dungbomb. Fireworks, I tell you. It's bad enough that they let them off inside, but in a classroom with living creatures..." she shook her head. "Anyway, they have enough detention to make them regret it. That doesn't really solve the problem though." 

"Leanodro said something about loose Nifflers?" Pomona probed carefully, as they walked back to the classroom. Loud banging noises were coming from inside, but Will didn't bat an eye at that. 

"Twenty-eight down, two to go. Of course those are the two sneakiest, about half of them just walked back into their cages when we put some leprechaun gold in there." She looked through the window into the classroom. "Anyway, this is nearly pointless. I'm going to get a trap and teach them how to set it, and they'll have to check on it twice a day until we catch the little buggers." She grimaced. "I've seen gentler detentions, let me just say that. This could easily take the rest of term, and they still have to tidy the classrooms." She grabbed a large trap from an improbably small broom cupboard, and walked into the classroom.    
  
Pomona just had to stop and admire her, as she held up the cage and instructed the small gang of boys to fill it with some shiny things and put it in the corridor. They did so obediently, and Pomona saw Will smile. 

"Come on." she said to Pomona. "That's all that was my responsibility, let me go find a teacher to overlook this mess." She stepped over a bunch of broken cups and bowls, and walked towards the door. It led straight to the dining hall of the Magizoology department, and Will approached a young wizard that was grading essays at one of the tables. 

"I had them put out a cage for the last two, Sir. They are cleaning now, can you overlook the rest of the detention?" 

He looked from Will to Pomona, clearly not from there. Plenty of Will's collegues greeted her by now, but she had never seen this man before. 

"Running off, are you?" he said in a condescending tone. 

"It's not my job to oversee detentions, sir. I deal with the beasts, not the students." Will said politely. He grumbled, and stood up. 

"Very well, thank you then." Will walked away, and Pomona heard him mutter something that sounded much like "Sapatão". Will rolled her eyes. 

"Don't mind him, he's new. We don't get along, and it hasn't improved when I told him he should have his students under control." 

"Still, he could be a little bit less rude." Pomona said. 

Will shrugged. "Oh, don't worry about it. If he didn't call me that he would have called me some other name."   
  
Pomona stopped in her tracks. "What  _ did _ he call you?" 

"Oh, shit. I forgot you wouldn't understand him." Will looked uncomfortable, like she regretted saying something. "He called me a dyke, well us I think. I can tell him off, if you want to." 

Pomona wanted to hug her close and keep her distance at the same time, so people wouldn't get even more ammunition to call Will names. "Are there more people who call you that?" she asked sharply. Will shrugged. 

"One or two maybe, but out of the hundred people I see on a daily basis that's not too bad. Those are the ones that would call me names anyway, because of the way I look or behave. Actually having a relationship with a woman isn't going to add much to that." She turned towards Pomona. "It's not a very high price for being myself." Those eyes... They filled Pomona with great happiness and sadness at the same time. 

"I love you." she said. "Can we go somewhere more quiet?"   
  
They walked through the gardens, to a gazebo that was a little off the beaten track. The foliage around them was thick, and they had as much privacy as they would have had in Will's room. Will leaned into Pomona, and gave her a long kiss. 

"I'm glad you're here." she said. Pomona sat down, and breathed in and out slowly.

“I am too.” she answered. “And I’ve been thinking about the summer holidays… Or the next weekend you’re in Britain, whichever. How would you feel about meeting my parents?”

Will studied her face, and was quiet for a while. Pomona could see she was really considering it, and wondered if asking so soon after the incident with the rude colleague was a mistake. 

But then Will nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay?” Pomona asked. “I wasn’t sure…”

“I was just waiting for you to ask, I know you weren’t ready for it before. They’re your parents, not mine.” She gave Pomona a quick kiss.

“Mum’s been asking about you for a while now.” Pomona admitted. “And then I realized that trying to keep these worlds separated wasn’t doing me any good. I know my parents don’t really understand, but they are trying. And maybe actually meeting you would help.”

“Then I’ll gladly go with you. But maybe we should do it on my next visit? Just for an afternoon or evening, that way you won’t be stuck there if it gets too awkward.”

Pomona went over the idea in her mind. Tea at her parent’s, with Will… Her stomach twitched when she thought about it, but it was the right thing to do. “Thank you.” she told Will. 


	19. Dragons and Dandelions

The common dandelion is one of the many wildflowers or weeds that can be used in potions. The roots, when dried, are an ingredient for cleansing potions or antidotes, while the seeds are used in fertility potions. A glass of dandelion juice after a night of heavy drinking greatly reduces the hangover. In ritualistic magic the dandelion usually plays a more symbolic role. It represents persisting no matter the circumstances, and cleansing of old sorrows. Seeing a dandelion in a difficult moment is supposed to bring the witch or wizard good luck on their journey. 

  * Excerpt from _From Weeds to Wishes_ by Igneos Wisehell



* * *

Pomona was antsy. It was just a few days before Will would visit, which was usually enough on its own to make her distracted and impatient. But this time was different… Her parents had invited them over for tea on Saturday, both of them. Pomona was nervous, and it showed. She was supposed to prepare a lesson for the Seventh Years, but instead had doodled in her notebook for most of the time. So when there was a knock on the door, she guiltily shut it, and looked up.

“Come in!” she called. Funny, Herbert didn’t usually knock… But who else could it be? The door opened slowly, and Pomona walked towards it. Then she heard a familiar laugh, and it dawned on her.

“Will!” she cried out, pulling the door open and embraced the woman in the door opening. “You came early!” She pulled her inside the empty classroom, and shut the door behind them. Then she pushed Will up against it, and kissed her deeply.

“Wow, if this is the welcome I receive I should do this more often!” Will snickered, when they finally broke apart. 

Pomona sat down on one of the tables, and patted the spot next to her. “I missed you.” she said, as if that explained everything. 

“I missed you too.” Will answered, pulling Pomona closer. “So when Pembleton needed someone to go to Hogwarts and learn more about the thestral breeding program, I volunteered. I can stay the whole next week.”

Pomona processed that. A week and a half! That was so much more than she could have hoped for. “So you’re working here at Hogwarts during the day?” she asked.

Will nodded. “Well, in the Forbidden Forest, since that’s where the herd is. But yes! And well, I know where to go if I need a quiet place to work on my notes…” She kissed the side of Pomona’s neck, and Pomona eagerly pulled her in for a proper kiss.

“I can’t promise you would get much work done here.” she breathed. “Speaking of…” she came to her senses a little, and looked at her watch. “There’s a class of Seventh Years coming in twenty minutes, and I still need to prepare their bouncing bulbs. Help me move them?”

Time seemed to fly now that Will was here. Pomona read, wrote and repotted during the day, and then walked up to the Castle for lunch with the rest of the staff - and Will. They kept up all appearances of being friends, but when the working day was over they walked to Hogsmeade together. They had dinner in Pomona’s tent or at the Three Broomsticks, and on Friday afternoon Minerva joined them for a walk in the forest. She muttered some good-natured complaints about having to to stop for every little bird or squirrel, but Pomona knew she was quite the bird-watcher herself. Minerva joined them for dinner that night, and as they chatted the last remnants of awkwardness between her and Will disappeared. Before long, Minerva was picking Will’s brain about the differences between Transfiguration classes at Castelobruxo and Hogwarts, and Pomona leant back. This was what she missed most, mundane daily life with Will. A visit where they each went about their normal business and chatted about their days during dinner, instead of every meeting being a special occasion. An evening where they could just sit on the couch, instead of feeling like they had to squeeze every little drop out of the short time they had before one of them had to leave again. Spending time with each other’s friends, and yes, the dreaded visit to her parents.   
Will poked Pomona in the side, and she looked up. Both Minerva and Will were looking at her. “Sorry, what?” she asked. “I was miles away.”   
“I noticed.” Will smiled, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Minerva looked away. “I was just explaining that there’s a lot more research staff at Castelobruxo.”   
“Oh, yes, there is.” Pomona said, feeling a bit lost in the conversation.    
“What were you thinking about?” Will asked her. Pomona shrugged.    
“That I like having you here for more than a few days. And about tomorrow, visiting my parents.”   
“It’ll be fine.” Minerva reassured her. “You’ll go, make polite small-talk, feel a little bit embarrassed, and then it’ll all be over and you’ll wonder what the big deal was.”   
“But it  _ is _ a big deal.” Pomona rebutted. “I know it’ll probably be fine, but… But I want them to like Will.” she muttered. 

Minerva patted her knee. “You’ll be fine.” she simply said.

That night, neither of them slept well. Pomona lay awake, and she could feel Will toss and turn as well. But they didn’t speak, and when Pomona finally fell asleep it felt like no time at all had passed before she awoke again. It got light early this time of year, and every day new flowers emerged in the meadow where Pomona was camping. Will was already up, sitting in front of the tent with a cup of coffee. She looked up when she heard Pomona rummage around, and held up a second cup as invitation. The smell of a good strong cup of tea wafted into the tent.   
“Thanks.” Pomona sighed, sitting down and leaning her head on Will’s shoulder.   
“What do you want to do today?” Will asked her, slightly distracted by an eagle overhead.

Pomona looked up too. “Do we have to do something? I kind of just want to stay here and read a bit. Maybe cuddle on the sofa?”   
“Or a nap later?” Will smiled. “I know you didn’t sleep well.”   
“We’ll see.” Pomona said. They sat quietly for a while. Then, Will spoke.   
“I really like this, I normally feel so hurried when we’re together. We only have so little time before one of us has to leave again.”

Pomona nodded, not wanting to think about Will leaving just now. Will seemed to know what she was thinking.   
“I didn’t just come for you and the thestral breeding program.” she said. Pomona sat up straight, and frowned at her. “I have an interview next Thursday.” Will clarified. “With Newt Scamander.”   
“For the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?” Pomona asked. 

“I don’t think it’s really connected to the Ministry. He said something about a sanctuary, and needing someone to help him take care of various animals that can’t live in the wild for one reason or another. And maybe give tours, if he decides to open it to the public. His letter wasn’t too clear on that.”

Pomona was still trying to wrap her head around it. “Here?” she asked. “In Britain?” Will kissed her. 

“I just miss you too much.”

Pomona smiled, and thought it over. "What kinds of animals do you think he has?"

"Nothing too dangerous, I believe. He has mentioned graphorns and an erumpent in his letters, but I don't know if they would all be in that sanctuary. And -" she gave Pomona a small smile, "he may have one or two dragons."

Pomona laughed. Of course, that would explain about half of Will's enthusiasm. She liked to think the other half involved being closer to Pomona, but Will had often complained about the lack of dragons at Castelobruxo. "And so you accepted the position then and there?" she joked. 

Will rolled her eyes, but she smiled. "I'm keeping an open mind." She said. "But it would have to be a lot less great than he described for me to refuse the offer."

The day went by too fast after that, and before Pomona knew it Will grabbed her hand and they apparated to her parent’s street. As they walked towards the house, Pomona smiled at a dandelion growing in between the cracks of the pavement. She took care not to step on it. As they reached the front door, Will grabbed Pomona’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze. 

Pomona’s father opened the door, and they could hear her mother talking to him from the kitchen. 

“- and I need to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow, we’re all out of owl pellets. Oh, they’re here!”

She came into the hallway, putting her wand in the pocket of her apron. She smiled widely, and Pomona nervously returned a smile. “Mum, dad, this is Will.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr and Mrs Sprout.” Will said politely, and she held out a hand that Pomona’s parents shook.

“Welcome, welcome.” said Pomona’s mum. “Go sit down, dinner is almost ready. Do you want some tea?”

“Yes please.” Pomona answered, steering Will towards the living room. They sat down on the sofa, huddled close together to let the cat sleep undisturbed on his pillow. After only a minute a tray with three teacups floated into the room, but it was enough for Pomona to get incredibly uncomfortable. Her father still hadn’t said anything, but just nodded friendly to Pomona and Will and sat down in his chair. Pomona could see his eyes go towards the open Prophet on the coffee table, but he clearly didn’t want to be  _ that _ impolite. 

“So, er, did you have a good journey Will? You live in Brazil, right?” he asked, still looking at the paper.

“I do, at the wizarding school there.” Will answered. “We can take a direct portkey from Castelobruxo to Hogwarts, so the travel is very easy. And I’ve been here all week for some training, so my jet lag is completely gone.”

Pomona’s dad nodded, and seemed lost for words again.

“I like the travelling, it’s like a small vacation every few weeks.” Pomona said. “Although I wouldn’t mind living closer together…” She winked at Will when her dad wasn’t looking. Will wiggled her eyebrows, and combed a hand through her hair. 

Luckily they were saved from the non-conversation by Pomona’s mum, who announced dinner was ready. Pomona took a deep breath, and sat down at the table. So far things were awkward, but not horrible. She could do this. 

They ate a stew with fresh carrots from the garden, and for the first few minutes everyone was silent as they dug in. Pomona could feel her mother’s eyes upon her, but she didn’t know what to say. Finally, her mum started a conversation about Brazil, and Will answered her questions. Pomona recognized the stiff mannerisms she also had when talking to teachers she didn’t know very well, and felt a bit sorry for Will. And yet here she was, sending a tiny smile Pomona’s way whenever their eyes met. 

“Why are you called Will?” Pomona’s mother asked when she’d exhausted all of her questions about the rainforest. “Is it short for something?”

Will shrugged. “It’s short for Wilhelmina, but I haven’t used that since I was in school. Will suits me better.”

“I was so confused when Pomona here first talked about you.” Pomona’s mother laughed. “I thought you were her boyfriend.”

Pomona bit her lip. “Mum!” she hissed. But her mother went on.

“Oh well, it doesn’t really matter if you never marry, dear.” she said to Pomona. “Plenty of professors at Hogwarts never do, and it’s a very respectable position.”

Pomona felt as if she’d downed a whole bottle of Pepperup Potion. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Then she felt the warm hand of Will on her leg, giving it a soft squeeze. She took a deep breath.

“Yes, my Mastery is almost done now. Professor Beery thinks I should teach most of the First- and Second Year classes next year, and assist in some of the more advanced ones. He’s not as strong as he used to be, poor man.”   
Her mum smiled, and Pomona let out a small sigh. Suddenly, she missed her tent.

“And as much as I love the jungle, I’m also looking for a job here in Britain.” Will said. “It would be nice if we can spend more time together, so I have an interview with Newt Scamander next week.” 

Pomona’s father looked up. “Newt Scamander? That bloke from the Department for Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures?” 

Will nodded. “That’s the one, although I’m not looking for a job at the ministry. But he has something else opening up, and we’ve been writing for a few months now. Ever since he read one of my articles.” 

Pomona could not suppress a proud smile. That first letter from mister Scamander had meant the world to Will.

“Bit of a weird man.” was her father’s only comment. Pomona shared a look with Will. If they’d been alone, or even with Minerva, Will probably would have answered she was a bit weird herself, but she couldn’t right now. 

Finally, they finished dessert. They were invited for tea in the living room, but after one cup Pomona pretended to be tired. “We wanted to get up early tomorrow, so I thing we better go home.” 

If her mother saw through the excuse, she did not comment, and the fresh air outside felt like an escape. They didn’t apparate away immediately, but instead walked along the street towards the outskirts of the village.

“How are you feeling?” Will asked, looking around quickly before grabbing Pomona’s hand. Pomona shrugged. “Could have been better, but it also could have been a lot worse I suppose. But that comment about marriage!” 

Will chuckled. “Relax, and look on it from the bright side. They could have thought I corrupted you.”

Pomona sighed. “Don’t joke about that, Merlin knows what my dad was thinking. But you’re right, I’ll try not to dwell on it. And we still have almost a whole week together, let’s focus on that. Although I’m not sure I’m in for an early start tomorrow.”

“Let’s just lie in.” Will agreed. “We could go flying over the mountains in the afternoon? Maybe take a picnic, you can sketch some plants and I’ll play around with those watercolours I got in Hogsmeade.”

“Sounds perfect.” Pomona muttered. “Come on, let’s go home.”


	20. Epilogue

It was September first, and Pomona watched the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall get darker and darker. Now that she taught some of the Herbology classes she was expected to be present at the official feasts, and the Welcoming Feast was the most important of all. But as she watched the students eat, her thoughts went to a little cottage in a meadow just outside of Hogwarts. There, Will would be waiting for her. They had spent the last three weeks of the summer vacation building it, relying on magic and friends to get it done in time. It didn't fit in with most of the other magical houses in the village: the builders had quarreled to reach a compromise between a Brazilian and British building style. It was painted eggshell blue, and the thatched roof had been spelled into a silvery colour to match. On the last day of the vacation, when everybody had left, Pomona and Will painted the outside walls with a variety of the plants and creatures they had seen on their travels, and planted an apple tree in the front. It signified a new beginning for them, the start of something more permanent. Pomona had quite liked living in her tent, but she had to admit her mother was right. It was no way for a respectable witch to live, and it was good to have a real house. A home, where she and Will could settle down. Although they kept the little tent close, after all there were still holiday trips to be made…

It was really unfortunate that she would be home late today, since Will had an early start tomorrow. They didn't have a lot of peace and quiet to get used to the new house before their jobs started, and tomorrow would be Will's first day. Pomona had met Newt Scamander twice now, but she still wasn't sure what the whole idea with his sanctuary was. But he and Will got on like a rampaging hippogriff, and had forgotten all about Pomona's presence both times as they discussed various obscure creatures. But Will seemed genuinly excited to start, and that was all that mattered to Pomona. She had been afraid that Will just moved her for her, but every day spent in together in Scotland had made her a little surer. Part of Will's heart would always stay in the jungle of Castelobruxo, but that was okay. They could think back on their time there with fondness, and enjoy the fact that they finally lived together. They would spend the days apart, but all evenings and weekends together. And while the time spent apart made Pomona appreciate this even more, she was very glad it was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you have probably guessed, I worked on this story a lot longer than the huddled-together publishing dates suggest. It was a labour of love, two consecutive NaNoWriMo's, and a lot of nerding out about plants. We get a lot of Magizoology in the books and especially the new Fantastic Beast films, but the plants of the magical world have always captured my interest. What would I find if I went on my usual botanizing hunts in a magical forest? Which plants are hidden to us Muggles in all the places I have visited or dream of visiting one day? Some of our natural landscapes seem almost magical, so it doesn't take much fantasy to imagine real magical plants or animals living there. Like J.K. Rowling in the original books I have taken some inspiration from folklore, but mostly I imagined what plants would look like if some of their 'normal' characterestics were a bit more extreme. Jumping Cholla's are real plants, but I'm afraid there are no Bruces out there. Although, I've never put on a witches hat and looked for them...
> 
> I hope you liked this story, although I'm frankly amazed at the idea of someone actually reading all the way through this fic. I mostly write for my own enjoyment, but I hope it has brought you joy as well.  
>  -HerbologyNewt


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